Demons
by Drake Hayward
Summary: When faced with two equally dangerous options, how are you to choose? When it's between my feelings and her safety, how am I to make a decision? I'm starting to understand my feelings for her, but entertaining them would only put her in grave danger. Not to mention the fact that I will never deserve her.
1. Chapter 1: Dead Man on Campus

_**A/N: **__Free time + too much excitement for the new story = update the very next day._

_Hey, guys! I'm back with my newest story. NEVER LET ME GO was a success and that was all because of you. Hopefully, you haven't gotten tired of me yet and see this new story through._

_I didn't achieve the 1000+ reviews with NEVER LET ME GO, but hopefully I will on this one. __**HELP ME REACH 1000= reviews! :D**_

_**Warning:**__ I've warned you guys that this is the darkest story that I've written. This story will deal with sex, drug use and other mature stuff. If you're a kid reading this, I suggest don't, but the choice will be yours. Percy Jackson will be very different in the beginning of this story . . . let's see how he will progress and develop._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Sadly.)_

**DEMONS**

**PROLOGUE**

_August 18, 2001_

The bomb had been set.

Visual on the subject? Affirmative.

The assassin sat on a chair offered by a sidewalk cafe where he bought his coffee, partly as a cover and partly because he needed the caffeine. It was his very first assignment, a very important one, he was told.

_Accomplish this and you will be rewarded greatly_, he remembered his employer saying. _Fail and the consequences will be severe._

An hour later he received a package containing everything he needed to complete his task. He expected a gun, or perhaps some type of poison. What he didn't anticipate was a bomb. It was up to him how to plant it, he just had to make sure that at hour zero, it would kill his target.

Inside the package was also an encrypted phone. He knew that such device could only be obtained by the highest-ranking official of the government. Whether his employer was one, or just had a lot of connections, he didn't know. He didn't ask any questions. He hadn't even met him personally, only over a phone call. The phone had been modified so he can only receive and send text messages to only one number - an untraceable one, he might add.

He checked his watch. It read 10:44. One more minute and he would make his debut as a killer. He had spent the past week tailing his target, learning her schedule, what time she left for work and what time she came home. In the early hours of the morning, before she even left her house, he had planted the explosive beneath the woman's car, which could be remotely activated using the very same device he was holding. He made sure to isolate the bomb's frequency so only he could detonate it. After making sure that everything was set, he waited here, across the building where the woman was working.

His watch beeped, signaling the time. He looked up to see his target coming out of the building. He accessed his device and tapped the button, activating the bomb under the car. The screen displayed the number 60. The woman had sixty seconds left to live, and her number was dwindling down very fast.

He checked her again only to stop short at the sight. Tailing her were two boys. One around the age of ten and was smiling hugely at the younger boy beside him, who was around the age of four.

He was never told about the boys. All the days he spent following the woman, they never went with her. He knew about her sons - the sons she would soon be leaving - but he was never told that they would be with her on the day she was to be murdered.

Murder. The word sank like a cold knife in his gut. He would be ensuring his daughter's future by ending someone else's life. He didn't have a choice, though, because it was more than the money; he had his personal reason. By doing this, he would be earning the organization's trust and he could finally do what he came here for . . . though he would be taking away someone's family just as his was taken from him.

It was too late to stop it now. He was able to detonate the bomb, but he didn't have the access to stop it.

The woman got inside the car, followed by her sons. Thirty seconds more and the blood of three innocent people would forever mark his hands.

He clenched his fist, forcing himself to calm down. Killing the woman was one thing, but killing the boys? That would haunt him until the very end.

Fifteen seconds.

Something changed. The ten year-old boy got out of the car and ran back inside the building. The four year-old was right behind him, laughing. The woman was about to get out, too, when . . .

BOOM!

The explosion shook him, even when he was across the street. The car was blasted meters off the ground, angry red flames and black smoke billowing from the inside. The glass window and door of the nearby buildings shattered, showering the pavement with glittering pieces.

Bystanders got over their initial panic and ran to the building's entrance. There was some commotion until a man stepped away from the crowd, holding the unconscious four year-old boy in his arms. The boy's forehead was bleeding heavily and the right sleeve of his shirt was still smoking, majority of the skin on his right arm burned. He would always carry those scars to remind him of this day, the day when his life was overturned.

He had done it. He completed his task, and spared the boys - barely. The device on his hand beeped. He stood up and walked away from the scene, accessing the message.

_Confirm kill_, it read.

He typed in his response. _Confirm. Sally Jackson is dead._

_Untamed emotions. Tormented soul._

**PART 1: ANCHOR**

**DEMONS**

Chapter 1: Dead Man on Campus

**ANNABETH**

Until I saw the wounds on his back, I was having a pretty normal day.

Or as normal as it get for one Annabeth Chase. An argument with my Dad before I left for school; a debate team practice even before school starts; greeting my small circle of friends and unfriendly comments by the popular ones - yep, pretty much my normal morning.

I was currently sitting with my friends on our usual table for lunch, as far away from the popular ones as possible. Thalia Grace was typing furiously on her phone, muttering under her breath; her younger brother Jason was busy being sweet with his girlfriend, Piper McLean; Leo Valdez was tinkering on the watch his girlfriend, Calypso Drakos, was wearing; Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque were talking in hushed voices; Juniper Greene was wiping enchilada sauce from Grover Underwood's face; Nico di Angelo was also there, playing with his food. They might be my friends but with all the couples around me, I couldn't help but feel alone. Sure Thalia was single, but she had sworn guys off, and she was busy texting her other friends; Nico was, too, but he's busy eye-stalking Will Solace.

I sighed and played with the blond tuck of hair that fell on my forehead. At home I was alone, nothing changed even when I was with friends. I knew I shouldn't feel that way - I certainly wasn't expecting them to ignore their respective boyfriends or girlfriends for me - but still . . .

"Did you hear the rumors about Percy?" I heard a voice ask behind me. I couldn't help but lean back and listen.

Percy Jackson. Who wasn't intrigued by him? Majority of the girls wanted to date him while the guys envied him. With his windblown raven hair, tall frame, muscular physique and a face that he got from his Mediterranean heritage, he was easily one of the most attractive guys I've seen. His sea green eyes was sharp, but held an unknown amount of sadness.

Everyone in school knew what happened to his family. His father went missing when he was one year old and was never heard from again. While his mother was killed when a bomb under her car exploded. Percy and his older brother, Tyson, were there, too. Luckily, Tyson was inside the building but Percy was a few feet away from the car when it exploded. For a few years they were in foster care, until he returned at the end of last year's semester, laden with an expensive car and a huge house.

I was as intrigued as everyone. He had no family, except for an older brother who was sick, but he clearly wasn't struggling with money. He didn't have any known job. People were assuming that he was dealing drugs, which hadn't been proven.

"Brittany said she saw Percy fucking Mrs. Woods in the History classroom," Holly, the school gossip shared, complete with a high-pitched giggle. "And they were doing it on the table, right where she's grading our papers."

Her friends went "Eew!" and giggled like the shallow teenagers they were.

"She said Percy's ass was . . . mmm! And a very impressive - "

I couldn't stop it. I turned around and glared at her. "Shut up," I hissed.

Her face reddened but glared back at me. "Bitch," she said.

I was about to give her a smart-ass retort when the cafeteria suddenly fell silent. I knew only one person could cause that. I looked up and saw Percy Jackson walking to his table, one he occupied by himself. He was in a black V-neck t-shirt, emphasizing his muscular chest; gray jeans and red sneakers. The skin on his forearm until below his elbow was marred with the burn marks he suffered from when he was four.

Girls followed him, practically drooling. I rolled my eyes and sat down. Nico was gaping openly at him until Thalia threw her fork at him. "Hey, quit it!"

His face reddened. "I wasn't! I-I was just - "

"What is it this time, Nico?" Piper teased. "You like his hair? Or are you curious about the brand of his shirt? We all know you have a crush on him."

"No! I-I don't!"

"Poor Will never stood a chance," Hazel commented at her brother.

"What?!"

Normally, this type of exchange would've made me smile, but my thoughts were occupied with Percy and this latest bit of news. I'm not saying I believed Holly but I did notice the way Mrs. Woods looked at Percy, like she was undressing him, whenever she thought everyone was busy with taking notes. She also asked him to stay behind almost everyday. What if it was true? Percy could have any girl he wanted, but why go for a married woman, who also happened to be his teacher? For the thrill? Or was it because of something else?

"Are you okay, Annabeth?" Grover asked. "You seemed distracted."

"Is it because of what we just heard from Holly?" Juniper asked.

I sighed. I didn't even know anyone heard it but me. "Annabeth, I'm telling you that boy is nothing but trouble," Thalia pointed out.

"Which I find kind of interesting," Nico said dreamily.

Hazel pinched her brother's ear. "Ow!"

"Seriously, though, Annabeth," Juniper said. "What is it?"

"I don't know, okay?" I answered. "It's just . . . he intrigues me. I'm curious about him."

"Aren't we all?" asked Piper.

"But no one can really blame him if he really is banging Mrs. W," Leo said. "I mean, she's so hot."

Calypso glared at him. "I'm seriously going to pretend you didn't just say that," she threatened Leo.

He grew red in the face. "No! I - I mean, she's so fat . . . and um, curvy! Totally not my type!"

Everyone on the table laughed. My gaze traveled back to the green-eyed boy who had suddenly taken over my thoughts. He looked uncomfortable, like he was in pain, and was clutching his side. He stood up, grabbed his backpack and limped to the exit.

Without thinking, I stood up and followed him. "Where are you going?" Thalia asked.

"I'll meet you guys in Chem," I answered simply. "I just need to go to the comfort room." Which I really had to do, except that it wasn't the sole reason.

I got held up on my way out of the caf by some rude jocks but was still able to squeeze my way through. The doors of the women and men's room were facing each other, which allowed me to see something that I would always remember. I was about to go and take the turn that would lead me inside the women's room when a freshman went out of the men's room, the door swinging open. The kid opened it with enough force that the magnet behind it stuck and left it open.

I had two younger brothers so I was no stranger to guys' habits when in the comfort room. What truly captured my attention was Percy. He was standing in front of the mirror, shirt off, and was dabbing a tissue on a bloody gash that stretched from his underarm until his ribcage. There were also numerous wounds on his back that looked like they were scratch marks or whip lashes.

He caught my eyes in the mirror. "Can I help you with something?" he asked, his voice flat. He turned around and showed me his toned torso. "Or would you like to see more?" His hands went down to his waist and started unbuttoning his pants

"I-I" I stammered and turned around, fleeing away, my business to go inside the comfort room completely forgotten. I only halted when I was in front of my locker, trying to steady my breathing. I still had five minutes left for my lunch hour. That was more sufficient time to make myself look normal. To make sure that my friends won't suspect that I saw something troubling.

Those wounds . . . what could've caused them? Or who? Percy didn't have any family so it couldn't be my idea that he was being abused at home. Maybe that other rumor was true. That he was part of some sort of a gang. But I didn't think so. Others may see a troubled youth, but for some reason, I saw something else . . . someone lonely.

My train of thoughts was cut when Percy passed by, a new shirt back on, thankfully. I grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"What?" he demanded.

I swallowed thickly. His green eyes were intense and almost made my knees turn to jelly. "What happened?" I asked him. "Those wounds - tell me what happened."

Percy gave a dark chuckle. "Seriously? You have never said a word to me before you saw that and now you think I owe you some sort of explanation?"

I backpedaled, finding it hard to keep talking. "I-I didn't mean it like that," I said. "I - I'm just worried."

Percy gave another humorless laugh. "Trust me, Chase, you can't help me." He then walked away, leaving me alone in the hallway.

For the rest of the day I tried to keep my minds off of Percy but I just couldn't. We had History together, the last period of the day, and one of the few classes I shared with him.

I tried catching his eyes but he never looked my way. Thalia wanted to know what's up but I never told her anything. I was worried . . . and curious. And my curiosity climbed up a notch when Mrs. Woods asked Percy to stay behind after class. I saw Holly and her friends giggling stupidly.

"You go, I need to check the library," I told Thalia. I didn't get her the chance to ask another questions as I circled the school and went to the back exit, where I knew Percy parked his silver Maserati. I sat down on the stairs and waited.

If Percy wasn't going to tell me the truth, I would have to do some investigating on my own. I would need to catch him when he least expected it and make him tell me what's going on.

I didn't get the chance, though. I waited for almost an hour until the whole school had been deserted. No Percy Jackson appeared. I tried to go back inside but the door had been locked without my noticing it. I would've tried to find another way but Dad had already been sending me text after text, asking where I was.

As I boarded the bus, I made one decision: whatever it was that Percy was hiding, I would find out.

**PERCY**

Annabeth f_reaking _Chase.

Of all the people who could see me, it had to be her. I'd already noticed her before. Those stormy gray eyes were very hard to ignore, but why did it have to be her?

She and her friends were all smart enough to stay away from the high school abomination known as Percy Jackson, which I was thankful for. One less group of people to be hostile to.

Earlier this morning, Brittany, a brown-haired senior who was known for being with numerous guys ambushed me when I just got out of my car. She smiled seductively at, pressing her impressive breasts against my arm. "Hey, Percy," she practically purred my name.

"Hello, Brittany," I answered stiffly.

"So, what do you say we go out after school and catch a movie or something?"

"I don't have the time."

"What, busy screwing Mrs. Woods after school?" she challenged.

I tried to hide the shock showing on my face. I put on a cocky smile I knew she wouldn't be able to resist. "Why, you jealous?"

She smirked. "Why don't we talk about it somewhere more private?" Her finger was running down my chest. I grabbed her wrist and pressed her palm against my crotch. "What are you doing?" she asked, feigning surprised, but her fingers squeezing my front said otherwise.

"This is what you want, isn't it?" I asked her. "Well there you go." I freed her wrist and walked away from her stunned figure.

School was the same. Same indifferent teenagers who either think they owned the planet or that they had the worst luck in the world. They didn't know how lucky they were that all they needed was to live their lives.

By lunch, I assumed Brittany had already spread the rumors about me and Mrs. Woods. I could hear people whispering behind me. I knew I shouldn't really pay attention but I was starting to get worried.

I sat on my usual table, ignoring the whispers that followed me. I was about to bite into my sandwich when a sudden surge of pain shot on my side. I clasped it only for my hand to feel the sticky and warm liquid soaking through shirt. I should've known this would happen; she was too rough last night.

I tossed my sandwich aside, grabbed my backpack and hurried out of the cafeteria. Thankfully, my shirt was black so I didn't think someone noticed the blood. I headed to the men's room, removing my shirt even before I was inside. I grabbed some tissue, wet it with some tap water and pressed it against my bleeding side. Only then did I notice a freshman was inside, about to do his business. I gave him a glare. He gulped, zipped himself up and went out.

The kid had opened the door strongly enough for it to be stuck open. Annabeth Chase was standing outside, her eyes locked on my wound. I didn't know what to say, so I did the one thing I knew: manipulate her with sex. It worked. I was almost done unbuttoning my pants when she turned away and rushed to the direction of the lockers.

I slammed the door shut and went back to drying the blood on my wound. When satisfied, I taped a sterile gauze to cover it up, put on a different shirt and went to my next class.

Except I was once again stopped by Annabeth. "Those wounds - tell me what happened," she said. She wanted to know? Huh. That was new. Nobody cared and I knew that it was just pure curiosity that made her do that. I told her off and left her there.

The rest of the day was uneventful. That is if I count the part where I heard Brittany telling her friends that I made her touch me. Nobody believed her, which was why I let that happen. They knew me; I didn't interact with anyone.

Then came my last period. History. Ah, how humans had exaggerated events. History is written by those who won, the fallens' stories left untold, buried beneath layers of dirt.

It was a period I was really looking forward to. Mrs. Woods - or Mindy, as she liked me calling her - gave me a smile when I entered the room. It was a shy type of smile but I knew it was just a front. Nobody but me knew how much of an animal she really was.

I slumped down on my seat, ignoring the pain on my side. Mindy looked up. I winked at her and massaged my crotch, biting my lower lip. She gulped and shook her head sharply. I gave a chuckle and sat properly, which was a good thing because the rest of the class was starting to arrive.

Throughout the entire period, Annabeth tried to catch my eyes. I avoided looking at her and focused myself on the lesson.

When class I ended, I grabbed my bag when Mindy said, "Please stay, Mr. Jackson." I smirked and went back to my seat.

She didn't look up for a minute as she scribbled something on her notes. When done, she stood up and closed the blinds on the windows and locked the door.

"Is there something wrong, Ma'am?" I asked, already in character. I knew how much she loved being dominant.

"Oh, there is, Mr. Jackson," she said in a low voice, letting her natural British accent out. I have to admit, it was hot. "You see, you've been a naughty, naughty boy." Her right hand flew and slapped me hard across my cheek. I tasted blood in my mouth. "For that, you must be punished." She grabbed the hem of my shirt and almost ripped it off of me.

"Careful," I said as her lips latched on the skin of my shoulder. "My wound hasn't healed yet."

She slapped me again, then grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head backwards. "You don't get to tell me what to do, is that clear?" I didn't respond and she bit the side of my neck. "I said, _is that clear_?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

She made me stand up and unbuckled my belt and unbuttoned my pants. She grabbed them down, along with my boxer briefs. She licked her lips and pushed me hard on the floor of the room.

"This is gonna be fun," she said as she straddled my hips.

_**A/N:**__How was it? Should I continue? Let me know!_

**[Next - Chapter 2: I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER]**


	2. Chapter 2: I Know What You Did Last

_**A/N: **__Hi, guys? Surprised for the fast update? Me, too. I guess I'm just as curious as you to find out what's going on. Besides, I have some free time on my hands so I was able write this faster._

**_RachelChaseJackson:_**_ Uh . . . I don't honestly know. I just started writing and before I knew it I had finished those chapters. I don't know if this will help you but find something - a song, a movie - that is related to what you're writing. That's what I do when I'm having writer's block._

_As per __**ADayWithNoLaughterIsADayWasted'**__s suggestion, I'm changing the rating to M. Just to be safe._

_One question: What do you think of that scene with Percy and Mrs. Woods? Too much? Too less? I received a request that I should write such scenes in details. What do you think? Let me know!_

_And because I'm a silly guy on a quest to reach 1000+ reviews for this story, __**no updates until reviews reach 40! **__Ha! *grins evilly*_

**DEMONS**

Chapter 2: I Know What You Did Last Summer

ANNABETH

"Thalia, please, just text my Dad and tell him I'm with you," I pleaded on the phone.

"No way, Annabeth," she declined from the other line. "I'm not gonna lie to your Dad. No. Forget it."

I sighed. "Look, I don't really wanna do this but remember last summer? When you went to California with Zoe and Phoebe? I told Beryl you were staying at my house. She found out that you weren't and didn't talk to me for weeks."

Thalia groaned. "You play dirty, Annie." I didn't respond. "Fine. Fine. I'll text your Dad but you'd better tell me everything on Monday."

"We'll see," I said, ending the call.

I was waiting in front of Percy's house. After my failed attempt to ambush him at school, I decided to go here instead. I knew he was still there; his car was there so either he walked home or took the bus, he hadn't left the school premises when I did.

I don't know why I was even doing what I was doing. We weren't friends; we hadn't talked for thirteen years so why was I so worried about what's going on with him? Was it simple curiosity?

The sky was a sea of dark clouds and the air was wet. It could rain any minute. I was making a mental note that I should leave before Percy arrived when a memory pushed into my mind: two children, a boy and a girl, playing in a tree house; same pair of children around the house and were having a good time.

The quiet hum of a car's machine made me look up. Percy parked his car at the side of the street and got out. I stood up and dusted my jeans. He hadn't noticed me yet. He had two grocery bags on an arm and was jangling his car key with his free hand.

He looked up and frowned at me. "What, are you stalking me now?" he asked in a very unwelcoming voice.

I swallowed the unfriendly response in my mouth. "I just want to talk to you."

"Was I not clear this morning when I told you I don't need to give you an explanation?"

I was starting to lose my patience. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and looked defiantly at him. "Well, I do apologize for being concerned."

Percy just looked at me. He shook his head and went to unlock his door. He let himself inside. I stood there and waited for him to invite me in. "What, do you really think I will invite you inside my house?" he asked, giving me an extremely cocky smile. "No."

I could feel myself grow red in the face. "Wow," I said. "Thank you so much, Mr. Hostile." I turned around to leave when heavy rain started to pour. I didn't have any rain gear with me. I didn't have any choice, though. I wasn't going to stay here and let Percy humiliate me more. If it's between walking in the rain and spending another minute with him, I'd rather be soaked.

I took a step forward, to get away from his house when his hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.

"I'm obviously not welcome here so I'm leaving," I snapped at him.

He gave me an unbelieving stare. "If you think I will let you walk in this weather, you're insane."

I seriously wanted to punch his face now. "Well, Percy, I'd rather get pneumonia that let you insult me one more time." I turned around and was about to take another step when he grabbed my arms with both hands. "Let me go, Percy." He tired to drag me inside but I didn't let him. I flailed and kicked his legs but he was stronger than me. "I said let me go!"

I was no lightweight, though, and I didn't stop fighting him. I also knew some self-defense move, thanks to my paranoid father. We wrestled until he slipped and came crashing on the pavement, away from the shelter of his house. He was soaked to the bone in seconds. He looked at me in disbelief, but there was something in his expression that made him look like a child.

I, however, was flustered. "I'm sorry," I said.

I tried to step close to him to help him up but he stopped me. "Don't," he said. He stood up and went back to his house. He looked back at me and raised his eyebrows. "What are you waiting for?"

I sighed and let myself in. His house was huge. Mine could easily fit in here twice. The furniture and appliances looked very expensive and the quality of the materials used to build the foundation were no doubt top of the class. How was a seventeen year-old with no family acquire such belongings?

We were at his living room when he shred his shirt off. I could feel my face getting hot. I wasn't able to really look at him earlier today due to the circumstances. Here in the privacy of his house, I got a good look at him. He wasn't overly ripped but perfectly toned; six pack abs that was glistening with rainwater; a trail of dark hair below his belly button that lead into his jeans looked enticing. I swallowed thickly, feeling urges I wasn't used to before.

I didn't trust myself to keep on looking so I diverted my attention to something else, only said something was far more troubling. The wounds on his torso. There were long lashes on his chest that looked like those were already starting to heal, but there were some that looked fresh. Most disturbing was the one I saw this morning. He had covered it with some gauze but I could see blood soaking through.

"How did you get those wounds?" I asked him in an unsteady voice.

He looked up but didn't say anything. Instead, he unbuttoned his pants and removed it right in front of me. If my face felt hot before, now it felt like I was being baked. He had red boxer briefs on that was tight on him, leaving very little to imagination. I want to say that I was able to look away, but I wasn't. Except for my younger brothers, this was the very first time I saw a teenage guy nearly naked in front me. I knew it was rude but I couldn't tear my gaze away. He just looked . . . inviting: his hair was plastered on his forehead, droplets of water running down on his skin. Not to mention the bulge below his waist . . .

I looked up to his face with difficulty. He was smirking at me, which I found intimidating. "D-don't you have any decency at all?" I asked him.

Instead of answering, he walked towards me. I was caught off guard and started backing away. What was he doing? My back met the wall separating his living room from the hallway. He didn't stop until his face was a few inches away from me face. He looked me in the eyes and I found myself unable to look away. "Why, Annabeth," he asked in a low voice. His breathed fanned across my face and I felt my knees buckle. "Does my being half-naked bother you? You know, a lot of girls would kill just to be in your place."

This remark offended me. I shoved him out of the way and breathed through my mouth, unwilling to breath more of the scent that was distinctly him. "Well I'm sorry, Mr. Jackson, but I'm not them." He shrugged, grabbed a towel and started drying his hair and wiping the rainwater off of his body. I cleared my throat uneasily. "Aren't you going to get dressed?"

"It's my house," he pointed out. "I can walk around naked if I want to."

_Please do_, a part of me said, a part which I quickly scolded. "In case you haven't noticed, you have a guest so have some decency and put some clothes on."

"I do have a guest," he agreed. "A guest I didn't willingly invite into my house."

I started fuming. I seriously wanted to smack that face of his except that I realized he was trying to provoke me to leave. "Don't worry, as soon as the rain stops I'll be out of your hair."

"Good."

I chose not to respond but let my eyes travel to the appearance of his living room. I did get the first impression that everything in his house was of the highest kind, but that wasn't just it: all of which seemed to come from different parts of the world. He obviously wasn't the one who decorated the interior of his house because despite the difference between each piece, everything went perfectly together. I was sure his house would've looked a whole lot more impressive if not for the bags of chips strewn all over the floor, bread crumbs scattered on top of his table and an underwear hanging on the backseat of his couch.

"Cleaners don't get here until tomorrow," he informed me. He was busy towelling his hair dry, his biceps bulging.

I once again felt that burning sensation. For some reason, I felt myself go thirsty. "Can I at least have a glass of water?" I asked.

"Help yourself," he said.

"I don't know where the kitchen is," I informed him.

"Last door to your right," he said.

I nodded my understanding and went to get my glass of water. By the appearance of his kitchen - which looked like it hadn't been used - it was pretty clear that Percy didn't eat at his house very often. I grabbed a glass from his cupboard and opened his refrigerator. I took out a pitcher of water and poured myself a glassful. When done, I put it back in and closed it shut. I was about to turn and go back to his living room when a piece of paper on the tabletop made me stop. It was beneath a bottle of medication that looked to me like they were painkillers. Written in what undeniably was Percy's scrawl were a list of names.

_Miranda Woods_

_Eloise Canterbury_

_Jennifer Mills_

_Katrina Myer_

_Octavia Griffin_

_Rebecca Adams_

_Reyna Arellano_

I stopped short. I recognized most of the names on the list. Miranda Woods was undoubtedly Mrs. Woods, our history teacher; Eloise Canterbury was a known socialite, married to the wealthiest man in New York; Jennifer Mills was the wife of our mayor. Of the names listed on the list one was completely foreign to me: Reyna Arellano, which had an asterisk after it. Who was she? And most of all, who were all these people and why were they listed on a piece of paper?

Something else caught my eyes. The bottle of medicines which I first thought were painkillers weren't as normal as Tylenol. I didn't need a super brain to guess what it was - bright blue pills the size of a penny. Didn't I see these on the news? Authorities had warned the public about a new type of illegal drug that was circling the city. What was it called again?

"That's Vertigo," a voice behind me said. I turned around and dropped the bottle. It landed on the floor with a thud, the cap flying off and small blue pills rolling everywhere. "Surely that's what you were thinking."

"I-I" I couldn't form any response, then I realized that I should be mad at him for taking these drugs and ruining his life. "Why are you using these?" I demanded.

He smirked. "Whatever it is that I do to ruin my life is no concern of yours."

"It is!" I insisted. "It is my concern because you're my - "

"I'm your what?" he asked, cutting me off. "Please don't tell me you were about to say _friend_ because I never pegged you for someone who make jokes."

I wasn't able to answer right away because what he was saying was true. I really was about to call him my friend until I realized I couldn't label him that way. But I couldn't just push aside the memories of the boy who gave me his share of raspberry ice cream so I would stop crying because I got lost in the mall.

"Percy," I said in a small voice. "I know that it's been tough on you after everything that happened, but this isn't the answer. Destroying your life won't make it any better. This isn't who you are!"

His eyes flashed dangerously. "And what makes you such an expert on who I am?"

"Because we used to be friends!" I answered hotly. "Don't you remember how we met? I got lost in the mall and you and your Mom found me. You didn't even know me then but you gave me your ice cream so I would stop crying. What about the times when we had sleepovers and I couldn't sleep because of nightmares? You would sneak out of your room and sleep beside me. Tell me those things don't mean anything to you," I said.

"They don't," he answered too quickly. "The boy you were friends with died when he was four; I am not him."

"And because you have lost a lot of things, you think you can do this? Drugs? And not to mention the rumors that have been going around - "

"That I'm fucking our History teacher?" he nearly yelled, his sea green eyes cold with fury. "Let me confirm that to you, then. Yes, I'm having sex with a forty year-old married woman. Do you want to hear the dirty details? How I pushed her against the wall and drove into her? How I made her scream when she finishes? Come to think of it, I think she rode me once while I was sitting on your chair - "

"Stop!" I yelled. "Why are you doing this? Do you really enjoy having an affair with an older woman? You're underage; for all we know she could be manipulating you."

He smirked. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I'm just a horny teenager?"

"But why her?" I challenged. "You can easily have anyone. You don't have to destroy a family so you can be satisfied. Why -"

"Why not you?" he asked, taking a step towards me and wearing that _freaking_ lopsided grin. "Let me ask you Annabeth, will you be able to handle me? Will you be able to satisfy my sexual appetite? When I tell you to hurt me, whip me or claw me, will you manage to do that? Because if you can't then I'm passing on the offer."

I wasn't able to answer right away. I didn't even acknowledge the fact that he said I was offering to be his sexual slave. I was too stunned at the fact that those wounds were inflicted on him because he wanted to. I knew about masochists but when Percy said that part, I swear I saw his hands shaking and his right eye twitching.

"That's not it," I said when I was finally able to regain my speech. "I don't think that you like being hurt. There is something else, something that you're not telling me."

Percy bit his lip in anger. "Then just accept the fact that I'm not telling that to you for a reason."

I threw my hands in frustration. "Why won't let me be a friend to you? Why is it so easy for you to throw that away?"

His eyes hardened. "I'm sorry, Annabeth Chase but my father is dead, like my mother and I was transferred from foster home to foster home for years, not to mention the older brother I have to look after so I'm sorry if I didn't have the time to make friends." He took a step towards me. "Why is it so important for you to know, anyway?"

"Because if what you're saying is true and the boy I was friends with is already dead, then I'd rather get to know this guy I'm talking to."

He shook his head. "You don't want to know me; you just want to divert you attention from your issues at home." I stopped short and he smirked in satisfaction. "What, you think I don't know about you? A father who only notices you when you make mistakes and overlooks all your achievements, and an absentee mother who - "

I didn't let him finish. I slapped him, hard enough that my hand stung. I didn't care. I just wanted to let my anger out. He didn't seem surprise, though; in fact he looked satisfied like that's what he wanted. "You push people away because you think it's easier, fine; be the architect of your own destruction. And let me just tell you that if the point of you being nearly naked and all those antagonisms is for me to hate you, then congratulations, Percy: I hate you."

I exited his kitchen and went out of his house, ignoring the fact that the rain was still pouring. The cold rain was not enough to dampen my anger on Percy. I came to offer friendship and give him someone to lean to but all he did were seduce me and humiliate me. Before I knew it, angry tears were running down my cheeks. I wiped them away in frustration, only to be replaced by a new batch.

Things that I confirmed on my visit: Percy was having an affair with Mrs. Woods; he was using drugs; he was on his way to self-destruction; lastly, he was a humongous, super-massive asshole.

An annoyingly attractive asshole.

When I looked up, I was already standing in front of my house, completely drenched to the bone. I debated whether I should get inside or go to Thalia's instead. I decided to go inside. If I went to Thalia's house, I might end up spilling the beans and I wasn't sure what to do with the information.

Dad was in the kitchen, sorting papers from his work. He noticed me and removed his eye-glasses. "Didn't Thalia drive you?"

I was still mad so I blurted out the truth. "I wasn't at Thalia's," I told him. He was about to open his mouth to say something but I didn't let him. "Don't be mad at Thalia, she just texted you because I asked her to. Be mad at me and if you're going to yell, you can do so but not right now. You can do it tomorrow. I'm tired and I'm going to bed."

I went up to my room without letting him respond, which would most likely earn me a month's worth of yelling.

I took off my drenched clothes and left them in my bathroom. After drying myself up, I put on dry ones and went to get my backpack. It was a good thing that my bag was waterproof. I removed all of my belongings and hang the thing to dry. Last thing I picked was my phone.

I had a new message. I sighed, sure that it was from Thalia, only to frown when the screen displayed an unregistered number. I accessed the message and stared at my phone for nearly a minute, debating whether I was reading it correctly.

_Stay away from Percy or die_, it read.

**_A/N: _**_Curious about what Percy's secret is? Part will be revealed in . . ._

**[NeXt - Chapter 3: THE WORLD HAS TURNED AND LEFT ME HERE]**


	3. Chapter 3: The World Has Turned

_**A/N: **__I guess I'll just have to settle for 6 reviews for the last chapter. 19 is far from 40, don't you think? Anyway, the story just started, so I still hope you guys will let me experience reaching a 1000 reviews._

_I think some of you have already established a picture of what this story is going to be really about, with Percy having an affair with his teacher, but I'm here to tell you that in this chapter, you will learn part of Percy's secret and what the first part of the story is all about._

_One thing, when I was done reading The Blood of Olympus, and after Nico was finally able to share his story, I've always wanted to write him in a more positive note and not the loner dude. He's featured by the end of the chapter and when I look back at it, I honestly believe that of all teh characters from the series, Nico is the best choice for that part. Let me know what you think. :)_

**_WARNING:_**_ Violence and sex._

**DEMONS**

Chapter 3: THE WORLD HAS TURNED AND LEFT ME HERE

PERCY

Strip away the flesh and bones,

Look beyond the lies you've known.

_I have a fucking headache._

_Why? Jennifer Mills - or Jenny - slammed my head against her table when she wanted to take control. And because I didn't give up without a fight, she grabbed my hair and smashed the side of my head on her husband's table. While my vision was swimming in and out of focus, she grabbed my torso and hauled me up so I was sitting on the very same table where Anthony Mills managed the city's budget. She then climbed on top and pleasured herself on me._

_I didn't take any painkillers, though. As painful as it is, I like the pain. It's the one emotion that I let myself feel. Not always, but once in a while. Some sort of a check. To see if I have become the emotionless dick they think I am._

_Oh, that episode with Annabeth Chase? Nah, fuck that. I don't care about what she thinks. She was fun to mess with. Her cheeks flushed a dark pink color; her lips opened and closed in anger and she balled her fist like she was about to punch me. It was very amusing to watch._

_She did run away and I watched her walking in the rain, unfazed by the cold water. I noticed how her wet clothes hugged her slender figure; how her hair stuck to her forehead and the way she brushed them away impatiently. It was . . ._

_Anyway, after she left, I went back to the kitchen and picked up the Vertigo pills. Yeah, the ones she spilled. Fucking crazy, right? I should've went after that girl and made her clean up the mess. _

_Remember I said that I would throw the lot away? I forgot about it this morning. I was in too much of a hurry to visit Tyson and get to school that I forgot all about it._

_Two more pills were left on the floor. Instead of placing those back in the bottle, I placed them in my pocket. I might need some soon. After screwing the lid, I tossed it in my trash can._

_I was about to go to my room when I received a text message._

Jennifer Mills requires your service tonight.

Everybody wants to talk about the freak,

No one wants to dig that deep.

Let me take you underneath.

_Believe me, I thought I was also reading it incorrectly. I just screwed my History teacher senseless and they wanted me to take another one? One customer a day, that was the deal. I did try to tell them via a phone call but they told me to fuck off. Jennifer Mills needed me to fuck her brains out. What choice did I have, right? Besides, she pays handsomely. If I'm able to make her climax thrice, she gives me extra payment._

_Who am I to refuse? I'm just a lowlifer. An escort. Gigolo. The more customer the better. But I'm tired today. Mindy drained me. I knew better than to say no, though, so I took a quick shower and headed to the Mills' residence._

You're gonna see things you might not want to see.

_The backdoor was unlocked. I know which entrance I should use so no one would see me. I also know where I have to go. Mayor Mills' study. For some reason, Jenny finds thrill when I fuck her on her husband's favorite room._

_She was already there when I arrived, dressed in her lacy lingerie. Even at the age of fifty, Jennifer Mills is still definitely a looker. Partly because she still goes to gym and partly because I always give her a good exercise when I make her ride me._

_I waited for some reaction below my belt, but I must be more tired than I thought. Jenny hooked a finger on my belt loop and drew me to her, kissing me hard on the mouth._

_Of my customers, Jenny is the roughest. She likes hitting me, leaving bite marks all over my body. She always makes sure that they all bleed. She also likes slamming me against random furniture._

_But she was wilder tonight. She used chains. She chained me on her husband's chair. Not just my wrist and ankles, though. Also my neck, which gave her full control when she humped my face._

_After that, she started punching me in the face. I know that due to her husband's status, she couldn't really exercise control with him. That's what I'm giving her every time. Control. I didn't try to stop her. Even when my left eye started to swell shut and my face went numb._

_When satisfied, she freed me from the chains. I wanted to get back at her for what she did. Not really in a bad way. I was thinking I could perhaps pound her until she won't be able to walk._

_That's when she slammed my head on her husband's table._

_After that, I was pretty much out of it._

_Sorry, did I tell you that in detail?_

A red river of screams underneath . . .

Stars in my black and blue sky,

Underneath the depths of my sin.

Look at me, now do you see?

_I don't really remember much after that. I do remember that when she was satisfied, she lit a cigarette. It's a habit of hers. It's also a habit of hers to use my chest as her personal ashtray. Jenny kicked me off of the table and next thing I knew, I was picking up my discarded clothes. She gave me an envelope, which I knew contained her payment. It felt thicker than usual so I knew she added more._

_After telling me that I should be there next week, same time, she left the room. I took time dressing up because I was sore - I still am. My head and face started throbbing and a bruise on my ribcage was starting to show, but whatever; I have the money. She can do whatever she wants next time. She can kill me for all I care._

Welcome to my world of truth,

I don't want to hide any part of me from you

I'm -

I pressed my iPod and turned off the music. I didn't like that song very much. I closed my journal and tossed it under the table. I stood up and went to pick up the pair of pants I was wearing to the Mills' and removed the envelope. I had to get the money to him in time; he might be running low on his budget.

Tyson didn't ask for much, considering that he was autistic. He was 23 years old but his mental capacity was that of a seven year-old's. He needed constant attention and because of the type of profession I had, I couldn't do that. Luckily there was Horace Brunner. He served in Iraq with my Dad until he was shot in battle. The bullet went through his spine, rendering him incapacitated. After he was honorably discharged, he started his own business.

When Tyson and I went back here, he offered that he could look after Tyson since he's managing his business at home.

I suddenly had an urge to go visit my brother but I debated against it. It was late; he's most likely asleep. Besides I couldn't let him see me bruised. He would just cry.

I decided that once the swelling on my face had gone down, I would pay my brother a visit. In the meantime, I was just going to spend the night here. Anyway, what's another night all alone, when you're always on your own?

I couldn't stay still when I laid down on my bed. My headache had turned into a full-on drum bangs inside my skull. I didn't want to take any painkillers, though I knew I wasn't going to sleep that way. That's when I spotted my jeans on the floor and remembered the Vertigo pills I'd saved. I seriously wanted to stop using that thing which was why I threw it all away, but Hades knew I needed it that night.

I got out of bed and picked my pants up, fishing the bright blue pills from the pocket. Before I could change my mind, I threw them in my mouth and swallowed. I went back to my bed and closed my eyes.

The thing about Vertigo is that it makes one feel numb. It also releases synthetic serotonin and dopamine, chemicals that induce happiness. The stuff was pretty addicting.

As I felt the dizziness Vertigo brought, I settled comfortably beneath my blanket. Tonight I was just going to dream of a better life.

I did dream of a better life.

Not precisely a better one, but something that I'd already lived. Back when my life was still simple and Mom was still alive. I dreamed of that day, that day when she told me that it's _Take your kids to work _day. For some reason, I always view it in a third person's perspective. I saw a four year-old me jumping in excitement because I'd always wanted to see the inside of a building where they printed the books Mom read to me every night.

I saw myself running to Tyson's room. "Ty!" I screamed in a shrill voice. I found my brother playing with lego blocks. I hadn't understood my brother's condition back then but I knew he was not normal.

He looked up from building what looked like an airplane and grinned at me. "Percy!" he stood up and tackled me with a hug. I remembered that I always liked I whenever Tyson hugged me. Whenever he did, it made me feel safe, like nothing bad could happen to me. "Tyson has a plane! Look!" he dragged me inside his room and showed me what he had built. Back then I thought it was pretty amazing, but now that I was dreaming of it, it looked like a misshapen dragonfly.

Being the four year-old that I was, I didn't pay much attention to what my brother was showing me, instead I tugged on the edge of his shirt and yelled in excitement, "We're going with Mom to her job!"

After that we were jumping on his bed, yodeling happily, until Mom came up. "Boys, get dressed!"

Mom's co-workers adored us. I watched as my four year-old self showed his silly dance moves and received sweets from people around him. And because it was my first time there, the moment Mom got distracted, I exited her room and wandered around the building. I saw a lot of people; others who knew me, others who stopped to pinch my cheek. I watched as the boy gave them cheerful waves and bright smiles.

That was until he got lost. I could remember what I felt just by watching myself. That feeling of being overwhelmed by everything around you, having no idea what you have to do? Yeah, that was pretty much what I felt. Good thing, it didn't last. One of Mom's co-workers found me and brought me back to her office.

I stuck to Tyson's side for the rest of that visit.

Until lunch time.

We were supposed to eat a block away from her work. Tyson and I were very excited as we walked towards the exit. I knew what was about to happen and I wanted to stop my mother from getting in the car, or asked her to get out fast before the bomb exploded, but I was powerless. And it wasn't like I could actually do something, and it wouldn't bring her back. Nothing would.

"Tyson left Mrs. O'Leary!" Tyson said and immediately got out of the car to go back inside the building. He was referring to the teddy bear Dad had left him before he disappeared. And because I was a kid who loved to tease his brother. I went out after him and laughed.

A laughter that was cut short when the explosion took everything from me.

Until now I remember feeling weightless and pain burning deep into the tissues of my arm. But my dreaming self didn't feel it. Inside I felt a sharp stab on my right foot. I drew my leg close to my chest and gritted my teeth to stop myself from screaming from pain.

"Percy," I heard an unfamiliar voice say.

Was this feeling the only thing constant in my life? Why couldn't it go away for once?

"Percy!" a hand came out of nowhere and hit me hard on the face. Suddenly I was away from the dreaming world and was staring into the face of one of my schoolmates. Olive skin, messy black hair and dark eyes. I think his name's Kiko. I wasn't sure.

"W-what?" I asked. "Where am I?"

"My lawn," he told me. "I was just taking the garbage out when I saw you jogging, then I think you stepped on a nail."

I looked down and saw that my right foot was bloody. A bent rusty nail was embedded in my right heel. I reached to pull it out when the kid stopped me. "Don't," he said. "Let me take you inside so we can clean it and put some bandages on it."

"Listen, Kiko - "

"Nico," he corrected me.

"Nico," I amended. "I appreciate the offer of help but I think I'll just take it home." I stood up only to fall back down when my foot failed to support my wait. "On a second thought, I'll just sit here for a while."

Nico rolled his eyes and draped my arm over his shoulder. Together, we limped inside his house. He sat me on a barstool and provided another one so I could prop my right leg on it. That's when I notice how cold it was. I shivered and Nico shook his head, throwing me a towel. "That's what you get for going on a run at five in the morning." He grabbed a basin and placed it under my foot. "Why were you jogging shirtless and barefoot anyway?"

I looked down and realized that I was indeed shirtless, all the wounds and bruised exposed enough for Nico to see.

How did I end up running early in the morning without even knowing it? Then I remembered the Vertigo I took last night. It must've been the side effect. "Just trying to lose some fat," I answered simply. I didn't want to tell him that he had not only an escort in his house but a drug addict, as well.

"Like you need to," he said, then his face reddened. I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows. I'd heard about his crush, of course - it's quite impossible to keep a secret within teenagers - but I didn't care. I just don't swing that way. He disappeared for a minute only to come back with a bottle of liquor. "It's the only thing close to a disinfectant that I have."

"Then I guess that will have to do," I told him. Before he could stop me, I bent forward, took a hold of the nail's head and pulled it out. It was all I could do not to scream in pain. Blood spurt out like water from a hose.

"Shit," Nico cursed as he grabbed another towel and pressed it tightly against the bottom of my foot. "I told you not to do that!"

I just shrugged at him and used the towel on my shoulder to wipe the sweat off of my face and torso. Nico took a peek on my wound and removed the towel from my foot. The blood flow had slowed down a bit. He then looked at me. "This will hurt," he warned me.

"Go for it," I told him. He was tipping the bottle sideways when I stopped him. "Wait!" He gave me an asking glance. I grabbed the bottle and drank nearly half of its content. The liquid was like fire as it went down my throat and transformed my stomach in a boiling pit of lava. I handed him back the bottle. "Sorry, I needed that."

"It's probably not a good idea to drink before having breakfast, but whatever; you're in for a rough ride." Without warning, he poured some on my wound. It felt like the skin on my heel was being burned. I gritted my teeth until it felt like I had pushed them back all inside my skull.

When the burning had slightly stopped, I draw back my foot to inspect the wound. It didn't look that bad and wasn't very deep. It was a good thing that this Nico kid was able to disinfect it right away. "What the fuck is that stuff - acid?"

He grinned at me and held up the bottle. "Nope, but something just as cool - bourbon."

"Yeah. Well, give it to me."

I was about to grab the bottle from him but he held it away from me. "No way; it's too early. You should have some breakfast." He stood up, ripped a white packet open and pressed the gauze to cover my wound. "I'm cooking. Would you like some?"

I shrugged. "It's not like I'm going anywhere for the next hour so yeah, I guess I could use some breakfast."

I watched as he busied himself cooking. I couldn't really remember the last time I had a homemade breakfast. I usually just grab a take out and eat it on my way to school. Soon enough the smell of fried eggs and bacon filled the entire house.

"Hey, um," Nico said, breaking the silence. I could tell he was nervous and one only gets nervous when one is about to ask a personal question. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you get those wounds?"

"I could tell you but then I'll have to kill you," I said, smirking.

His face reddened. "Forgive me for asking."

"That's fine," I answered. "I just don't like it when people butt into my business." He looked hurt and I realized that it was a very ride comment to give someone who just helped me. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be an ungrateful dick."

He just shrugged and went back to preparing breakfast. Soon he had a plate filled with eggs and another one heaping with bacons, the last one containing ham sandwiches. "Here," he said, sliding the plates towards me.

I took a sandwich and bit into it, the savory flavor of meat filling my mouth. Nico was quiet while eating and I was surprised that I actually felt guilty. "Look, I didn't really mean what I said," I told him, which, I guess wasn't very clear considering that my mouth was filled with food.

"You're eating; shut your mouth," he chastised me, though he didn't sound mean.

"The reason behind all these," I told him, "is the type of secret that could kill. Let's just keep it that way." I don't even know why I was talking to this kid. Because he helped me? No. Maybe it's because he was also alone like me. I remembered what his story was; his mother and sister were dead and his father was working out of town so he lived there on his own. I heard about a half-sister who was living at the edge of the city, away from here. Maybe I could see a better version of me in him.

He seemed to debate on something before speaking again. "Is it because of what you're doing?"

I tried to play it cool but I could feel myself get worried. "What, being an asshole to everyone, even ones who help me?"

He shook his head. "I mean Mrs. Woods, Mrs. Mills and Mrs. Myers," he said carefully.

I leaned back and placed my sandwich down. "What do you know?" I asked him.

He started stuttering. "N-not much. I-I don't even know i-if they're true."

I stared straight into his eyes. "Nico, this is very important. What do you know?"

He tore his gaze from me and started playing with his food. "Um . . . see, people know about, you know, you and Mrs. Woods . . . but I,uh, I kind of . . . I mean, I know about the mayor's wife and Mrs. Myers."

"How?"

He gave me an embarrassed look. "Promise you won't get mad?"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Those are very dangerous words, Nico; I'm not making any promises."

Nico visibly gulp. He stood up. "I-I think I heard my p-phone."

He made a move to exit the kitchen but I grabbed his wrist. "Nico, sit." He sat down like a robot. "You have to tell me what you know and how you know it."

He gulped again. "This is going to be awkward," he said to himself.

I sighed. I really didn't want it to come from me but it looked like the only way to get him to open up was to start it myself. "Does it have anything to do with your crush?"

If I thought he was blushing earlier, then I thought he was going to explode then. "H-how d-did you k-know?"

I shrugged. "Sorry, was it a secret? If it was then it's a poorly kept one." Nico looked like he didn't know what to do, like he was expecting for some fist fight. "Look, I don't care. It doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that you know something that could be dangerous."

Nico's face showed relief, only to get worried again as he digested what I just told him. "Um, what do you mean?"

I sighed in exasperation, showing him that I was getting impatient. "I can't say until I figure out what you know and how."

He straightened. "I, um, I used to follow you before and I kind of see you with them in . . . you know, intimate positions." I didn't answer. He still hadn't answered my question. "I-I mean it's totally not my business! And, um, I-I don't think it's your fault because they're, um, older. Yeah. Totally not your fault!"

I stared at him, watching for any signs that he's hiding something. None. It's really what he knew, or it's what he thought he knew. If there's one thing I know I'm good at, it's reading people. I used it to know what my clients want.

I exhaled in relief. The kid hadn't figured it out, then. My secret. If he didn't know the truth then he wasn't in any danger.

"Can I trust you to keep that a secret?" I asked him quietly.

"Percy, everyone knows about Mrs. Woods," he pointed out.

"They know rumors," I told him. "They don't know it's true."

I didn't repeat my request. I just waited for him to say he would keep it, or else I would have to resort to other methods and I didn't really want to manipulate this kid.

He sighed when he sensed I was waiting for a reply. "Yes, I would keep it a secret," he said. He then hesitated before continuing. I had no idea why I suddenly became nervous. "But I want something in return."

I rolled my eyes. Was he seriously asking this? I have no problem with homosexuals but I don't do guys. "Nico, if you're implying to have sex with me then I'm telling you; you're not getting any."

His face reddened again, but not the embarrassed kind of blush, more like the furious kind of blush. He stood up in anger, glared at me, then exited the kitchen.

"Wait!" I yelled, standing up, completely forgetting my bad foot. Sharp stabs of pain shot in my foot and I fell over, knocking the chair with me, which had the misfortune to hit my abused rib. "Aw, fuck!"

Nico peeked from the stairs and saw me on the floor. He sighed and went back to help me. When I was sitting again, I muttered a silent "Thanks."

"As soon as you can walk, I'm politely asking you to get out of my house," he said.

"Nico, look, I didn't mean what I said. It's just that sex is what . . ." I stopped short. Sex was what? What everyone wanted me for? If I told him then he would figure out the truth. "I'm just joking, okay? I'm sorry if that was a bad one."

I didn't really apologize to anyone, but I figured it would be best if I kept this kid close. He already knew too much and I would be able to keep a closer surveillance on him if he wasn't mad at me.

"And, hey, to make it up to you, I will five you a strip dance." He looked like a tomato about to burst and I laughed. "I was just kidding." He grunted but didn't say anything. "Seriously, though, I owe you a favor. Tell me what I can do."

Did I say I didn't want to manipulate him? What the hell was I doing, then?

"You owe me three," he corrected me. I raised my eyebrows at him. "For cleaning your wound, for drinking my bourbon and for that sex remark."

I bowed. "Well, three favors then."

"I just want one," he said, which surprised me. "And you're not gonna like it." I made a show of gulping loudly. Nico rolled his eyes at me. "Stop being a dick to Annabeth."

Fuck that. I was right to be nervous.

"What?" I asked in surprised.

"Look, Percy, Annabeth was doing what she's doing because she cares about you," he said. "And after what she did Friday, I think it was a very douchey of you to do what you did."

"How did you even know about that?"

"Sorry, was that a secret?" he asked, mimicking my earlier tone.

"Why is it so important to her to get to know me, anyway? It's not like we spent the past year chumming with each other," I pointed out.

"Because it might not mean anything to you but your friendship when you were kids surely means a lot to Annabeth," he said. "And as the person who helped you, and whom you insulted, I'm asking - no, screw that - I'm demanding you to be nice to her."

"Nico, there are things that you don't understand," I told him. "I can't be close to Annabeth – "

"Percy," he said, cutting me off. "If you're referring to the fact that you like her, I'm telling that is not a valid reason to be an ass to her."

"What?!" I asked in exasperation. "Who said anything about me liking her?"

"I did," he answered simply. "It's simple enough, Percy: be nice to the girl who was your best friend when you were a kid, same girl who wants to get to know you and be a friend to you."

Be nice to Annaneth Chase. I was so massively screwed.

**[Next - Chapter 4: A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE]**


	4. Chapter 4: A Closer Walk With Thee

**DEMONS**

Chapter 4: A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE

**ANNABETH**

I tried to avoid Thalia when I got to school. I wanted to be spared of having to recount what had gone down last Friday.

My efforts were wasted because the moment I got off the bus, Thalia was there waiting. She grabbed my arm and practically dragged me to the school's entrance. "You have to tell me what happened," she said, more like an order than a request.

I hooked my thumb on the strap of my backpack and looked ahead. "There's nothing to say, Thalia," I grumbled.

"Annabeth," Thalia called. "Annabeth. Annabeth. I may not be as smart as you are but I'm certainly not stupid. Besides, we made a deal."

"Did we?" I asked, looking at her. Seeing her determined expression, I knew it was futile not to tell her, but I wasn't going to tell her everything. "Let's just say that we both agreed that we hate each other."

Thalia winced. "That bad?"

I shrugged as I kept on walking, heading to where my locker was. After getting the notes I would be needing, I slammed it shut and went to head to my first period. Only when I turned around, I saw something weird. Percy and Nico talking.

Nico was by his locker, stuffing his backpack inside while he spoke to Percy about something that made his lips twitch.

Now I mentioned his lips because it was the only part of his face I could see. He was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses that obscured my vision. I tapped Thalia on the arm and nodded to their direction.

"Huh," she scoffed. "Looks like Nico finally grew a pair."

"That's weird," I said, not really hearing what Thalia said. "What do you think they're talking about?"

She winked at me. "Wanna eavesdrop?" she offered.

I shook my head. "We've already established that I'm to stay away from him." I grabbed my bag and slammed my locker shut. "I'll see you at lunch," I told Thalia.

I passed by the study hall to gather some books I left there last Friday after debate practice, before heading to my first period. Word had already gotten around that I was at Percy's last Friday. I could hear whispers like "Desperate wanna-be," "Slut," and "Throwing herself at him." I didn't pay them any attention. I just focused on the lessons and ignored them as much as I could.

Period before lunch was, unfortunately, one I had with Percy.

He was already there, head bowed, cap and glasses still on, typing furiously on his phone. Mr. Harrison waited and watched as the rest of the class filed in. When the signal bell rang, he stood up to greet the class. Then his eyes fell on Percy.

"Mr. Jackson, I would greatly appreciate it if you remove the cap and sunglasses. Thank you," he said.

From where I sat I could see Percy gritting his teeth. He then seemed to realize he didn't have a choice but to obey. He grabbed his cap, tossed it on his desk and did the same to his glasses. Everyone in the room fell silent. Percy's left eye was bruised. I guess it would've been swelled shut a day before but then the swelling was starting to go down, the side of his face blackish-purple. His lower lip was also cut.

I couldn't explain what I really felt. Concern? Curiosity? Yes and yes. I was concerned enough that I was tempted to reach across my desk and rub my thumb on his bruises. I didn't let myself, though; I wasn't going to give Percy more reason to humiliate me.

Mr. Harrison stared at him and shook his head, no doubt thinking what everyone else was - that he got into a fight, which was normal. "You may see the nurse," he told him.

"It's fine," Percy answered, obviously miffed.

"It's not a request, Mr. Jackson," Mr. Harrison said, more authoritatively this time.

Percy clenched his fist. "I - I have a problem with my foot, sir; I'm having trouble walking."

The professor seemed to consider it. "Can anyone please accompany him to the clinic?" he addressed the class.

As expected those silly teenage girls were very eager in volunteering. I stood up and grabbed Percy's hand. "I'll do it, Mr. Harrison," I said, knowing that because of my standing in class he would allow me to miss a lesson.

"Very well, Ms. Chase."

I turned to Percy. "Come on." He looked like he was about to argue then seemed to realize that he didn't have a choice. He mumbled something under his breath and stood up. He was indeed limping when he was walking and nearly tripped on his way out of the room.

I tied to place an arm on my shoulder but he pulled away. I really wanted to shove him out of the door and just leave him on his own, but I could feel the eyes behind me. "If you don't let me, I'll get in trouble with Mr. Harrison, so stop being a dick and let me help."

"Fine," he muttered under his breath, allowing me to assist him, which wasn't a very smart move because he weighed a ton. But I didn't let him go.

Percy dragged his foot, and with my help, we were able to get to the clinic. Nurse Walker looked up, wearing her usual friendly smile, one that quickly disappeared when she saw him.

"Oh, dear," she whispered, standing up to help Percy up on a bed. "How did this happen?" she asked, taking a look at Percy's bruised face.

"Hit it on my door," he answered simply.

Both the nurse and I knew he was lying but she didn't push it. "Did you put ice on it?"

"No."

"That explains it," she said, turning to look at me. "You may go back to class now, Ms. Chase."

I shook my head sharply. "I'm supposed to stay with him; he can't walk on his own." I crossed my arms over my chest to show her that I was serious.

Percy looked at me, then back at the nurse. "Please let her go," he said in a deep voice, giving her a shy smile. I saw Nurse Walker gulp. "I don't want her to get in trouble."

"I - yes," she agreed. "I insist that you go back to class, Ms. Chase. I'll take care of your boyfriend for you."

Percy gave me a triumphant grin over the nurse's shoulder, knowing very well that with what she said, I wouldn't stay a second longer. "Fine," I huffed. "Fall on your face if you want."

As I exit the room, I heard Percy muttering, "She's a feisty one, isn't she?"

I went back to my class in annoyance.

"Where's Mr. Jackson?" Mr. Harrison asked as I sat back down.

"In the clinic," I answered, fighting the urge to scowl. "He said he didn't want me there." Which was really what he said.

There was a collective _ooh_ as everyone stared teasing me that Percy and I were having a lover's quarrel. I didn't pay them attention but glared on the floor instead.

Mr. Harrison quieted the class and went on with the lesson, a lesson which I didn't understand a single word of.

Lunch time found myself with my usual group. This time I purposefully sat next to Nico. I'd been wanting to ambush him and ask how he and Percy started talking all of a sudden but didn't get a chance until then.

"Uh . . . hi," he said, knowing very well why I was beside him.

"Spill," I told him, looking directly into his eyes.

Our friends all looked at us. "Annabeth's getting territorial," Jason commented. Piper slapped his arm to quiet him down.

Nico looked nervous. "Um . . t-there's nothing to say really."

"Nico, you know I can read straight into all of you so you'd better think first before lying to me again," I said, making him gulp. "Let me ask again: what happened?"

Nico was about to reply when everyone on our table looked up, seeing something behind me. I turned my head to see Percy standing there, holding a tray on one hand while the other was wrapped on the strap of his backpack, looking extremely uneasy.

"Percy!" Nico exclaimed, obviously relieved. "Good thing you're here. Come sit with us." Nico made room for him, giving him a seat beside me.

I grabbed Nico's arm and pulled him back beside me. "You're not going anywhere," I said through gritted teeth.

"Um," Nico hesitated, looking up at Percy. "He has nowhere to sit at, Annabeth."

"He can find a seat somewhere," I pointed out. My friends looked at me with mouths agape, unused to seeing me be rude to someone. Except for Thalia, who was looking smug.

"Annabeth - "

"It's fine, Nico," Percy said. "I'll just go and find another table."

I don't know if he did it on purpose or what, but he sounded sad, which made me feel a little guilty. Guilty enough that when Nico moved aside to give room to Percy, I didn't stop him.

He sat down at Nico's request and played with his food uneasily. Conversation around the table started, but lacked its usual enthusiasm.

I carefully studied him. There was some sort of ointment that had been applied on the bruised skin of his face, leaving it with a yellowish-green tinge. His lips were dried and cracked, making the cut look deeper. Now I wondered if those lips wold feel as soft as they looked . . .

_Snap out of it_, I chided myself.

Nico broke the uncomfortable silence on our part of the table. "How's your foot, Percy?"

Said person looked up from his plate of salad to find nearly everyone on the table looking at him. I knew they weren't really waiting on Percy; they were waiting for his response because it was Nico who asked the question.

"Feels like I stepped on a nail," he answered simply.

Nico grinned. "Yeah."

I was about to say something and ask what that was about but Thalia beat me. "Okay, can I just say it?" All head turned to her. "How did you two ended up talking? Because if this is some sort of a ploy to humiliate Nico I swear, Percy Jackson, I'm gonna break your face."

Thalia could really be scary if she wanted to, and right then she looked downright murderous. I expected Percy to cringe, instead I found him laughing. It was a real, loud and full of humor kind of laugh and despite my mood, I found myself smiling.

There. I saw a glimpse of my carefree, happy go-lucky friend from my childhood. His sea green eyes were sparkling with mirth. "Oh wow, that's rich," Percy muttered when he stopped.

"Great," Thalia grumbled. "We're having lunch with a mental case."

"Care to answer her question, Nico?" Hazel asked her brother.

Nico looked at Percy as though asking if he should. Percy just shrugged. "Alright, fine," he said. "You know that I wake up early at Saturdays, right?"

"You mean when I'm not staying with you and no one's gonna take out your trash? Yeah, I know," said Hazel.

"So I was out Saturday morning to do just that when I saw Percy jogging," Nico continued. "When he was in front of my house, he suddenly fell, clutching his leg and groaning. See, he stepped on a nail, so I took him inside and helped him with his wound. Then we had breakfast."

"That's it?" asked Thalia.

"And because of that he's having lunch with us?" I asked Nico.

It was Percy who answered. "No. I'm having lunch with you because Nico asked me to."

"What, you two are a thing now?" Hazel wondered.

Nico's face turned red. "Hazel! Will!" he hissed, nodding behind her.

"Nope, " said Percy. "He asked me to be here for you," he told me, looking into my eyes.

I fell silent. Nico asked him to start having lunch with us for me? What was he thinking? "What for?" I asked.

"Dunno," shrugged Percy.

"Because you obviously want to talk to him," Nico pointed out.

"I do not!"

Percy interjected. "You mean showing up at my doorstep unannounced was you not wanting to talk to me?" he asked, complete with a cocky grin.

I seriously wanted to have my fist erase that stupidly attractive smirk on his face. "You mean wearing only your underwear the whole time I was there, seducing me and basically being an asshole still merit you a lunch invitation? In case you didn't get it the first time, then let me spell it out for you: no. N-O."

I breathed heavily, surprised with the sudden surge of emotion. My friends were stunned, looking at me with wide eyes. Percy, however, looked taken aback, like he didn't expect such rude words to come for me.

"I guess it's loud and clear now," he said, gathering his things. He looked at Nico while doing so. "It's clear I've overextended my welcome. Thank you for the invitation, though."

He stood up, only to trip again on his injured foot. Now people might look at me like I was a brainiac and didn't know anything about sports but that was untrue. I played basketball, tennis, golf, and any sports that can be played with careful calculation. Having said that, my reflexes were fast. I was able to grab Percy's arm and stop him from falling completely on his face. His tray banged loudly on the table, his unopened can of soda rolling towards Nico. For a second our eyes met and I swear I saw something in his. For one fleeting moment the arrogance disappeared and was replaced by . . . longing? I wasn't entirely sure.

Thalia cleared her throat. "Come on, you guys, let's be somewhere else." I wanted to protest but it seemed my friends were all thinking the same thing before Thalia voiced it out. They were all up and had their things, leaving me and Percy alone on the table.

I wanted to stand up and storm out of the caf, but a part of me was glad. My attempt last week might have been disastrous but I wasn't one to give up. I knew that once my anger passed, I would be back to trying to figure out what was going on with this boy who used to be my friend.

Looking at his bruised face and the way he awkwardly stretched his right leg in front of him, I found my anger dissipating. I risked a move and ran my forefinger lightly on the bruised area of his face. He flinched but didn't pull away. "Will you tell me what happened?" I asked.

Percy sighed. I half-expected him to grab his bag and leave me, or throw some biting comments at me, but when he answered, his voice was soft. "I fell off the stairs," he answered. Which was clearly a lie.

I shook my head, slightly annoyed. "Percy, don't take me for someone who can be fooled easily. You told the nurse you hit it on your door."

"I meant I fell off the stairs then hit it on my door," he said.

"If my calculations are correct - and I believed they were - for you to fall off the stairs and hit your face on your door, which, if I may add, was at least twelve feet apart, you would've fallen with enough force to break your neck," I pointed out. "So it's either you're lying or the door chose that moment to move further inside your house. Which one was it?"

"The second one," he said carefully. I chose not to reply. Instead, I looked directly into his eyes, coaxing the truth out of him. He sighed in surrender. "Fine. Someone hit me."

That's what I thought. "Wh -"

"The who and why - those you're not gonna find out," Percy said, cutting me off. "I've already said enough as it is."

Not being one to just let it go, I asked, "Why would someone do that?"

Percy chuckled humorlessly. "Jeez, Annabeth, why someone wouldn't? I'm a fucked up kid, remember?"

"I don't believe that," I said. "I don't believe you are."

"Why?" he asked. "Why are you so concerned all of a sudden?"

"Believe it or not, Percy, I care about you," I told him honestly. "I know you're just going to brush that off but it's the truth."

"You can't," he whispered. "You can't care about me."

"Why not?"I challenged him. "Look, it may seem that way to you, having gone through those things, but people do care. I care."

"Annabeth," he said carefully. "Being associated with me is dangerous."

I didn't really mean to say what I said next. "Yeah, I guess I figured that out on my own."

Percy frowned, his expression suddenly becoming guarded. "What do you mean by that?"

I sighed and took out my phone from my bag. After accessing the message I received Friday, I handed it to him. "I got that after I was at your place. It appears that one of those girls obsessed with you saw me."

Percy looked at my phone like he was trying to burn a hole on it. "You shouldn't keep this message," he said. I watched as he deleted it. "It's nonsense."

It was pretty clear that it wasn't. He looked pale and sweat started to bead on his forehead. "Is there something wrong?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he answered a little too quickly, which lead me into believing that there was something else he was not telling me. "Totally nothing. You shouldn't let this bother you."

"It doesn't," I said, carefully studying his face and knowing very well that the text message I received - something I dismissed as one sent by a shallow teenage girl - meant something else entirely to him. I knew better than ask him what's the matter, though, so I kept my mouth shut.

Percy typed in something and tossed me my phone back. "Just ignore it, okay?"

"Okay."

"But if you notice something - someone - following you for no apparent reason, call me. I saved my number on your contact list."

"Yeah, so - "

"At the first sign of trouble, contact me immediately."

"Yes, but - "

"Most importantly do not speak to someone claiming to know me unless you know for a fact that I actually do."

Okay, this was getting ridiculous. "I said okay!" I blurted. "You don't have to keep repeating it because I get that they can _actually _harm me and there's _nothing_ that I can do about it," I added sarcastically.

Percy narrowed his eyes at me. "Go ahead and be that way; you don't understand what I'm saying."

"What you're saying?" I asked. "Did you actually _say _something? Because I haven't heard anything."

He shook his head in annoyance. "You're insufferable," he said. "I don't know why Nico is very insistent that we become friends."

"Well, you don't have to," I said quietly. Truthfully, there was nothing I'd want more than get my friend back. I have this tendency to not let go of anyone I welcome into my life and when I first met Percy, he seemed to have found a way straight into my life and stayed there even with thirteen years of separation. There's nothing I'd want more than add happy memories to the few ones I had with him.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" he pointed out. "Besides, if I don't do it, Nico would expose my secret," he said lightly, but I could see how tensed he was.

"What secret?" I wondered.

Percy learned forward until our faces were inches apart. I never noticed before but his sea green eyes had specks of gold in them. "One that needs to be kept a secret," he said in a low voice.

I was about to respond but the first bell rang, which meant we only had five minutes left for our lunch. Percy was quick in standing up. I followed suit as he limped to the exit.

I really didn't want to push it but I had to ask him. "Will I see you at lunch tomorrow?"

Percy seemed to consider it. "Save me a seat," he answered simply before walking away.

I couldn't stop the smile that tugged on my lips. Progress.

**[Next - Chapter 5: MAN ON FIRE]**


	5. Chapter 5: Man on Fire

_**A/N: **__Hi. Sorry for the lack of note from the last chapter. I was in too much of a hurry to place one and I figured its better to just post the chapter right away._

_One thing: I'm not sure if you noticed the building friendship between Nico and Percy, if you did you might be wondering why I chose Nico. I didn't. Nico chose to appear on that scene and when I looked back at it, I believe that of all the characters from the series, he's the one who's most likely to understand what it's like to be alone._

_The earlier chapters of my stories usually are about introduction to the story, the introduction of the characters so the plot hasn't taken effect yet but I can assure you that I'm getting there. With this chapter, the tension starts to build and they are all on their way to the bigger plot of story, so just be patient and we'll see. :D_

_DON'T JUST READ, LEAVE A REVIEW!_

**DEMONS**

Chapter 5: MAN ON FIRE

**PERCY**

_"What about NYU?" she asked._

_I rolled my eyes as I stared up at her, my head on her lap. Her dark eyes stared back at me, sparkling, as she shuffled papers with both hands. "We're sophomores; we don't have to choose which college we want to go to for the next two years," I pointed out, my voice becoming serious. She must've noticed it because she stopped sorting through college applications and ran her fingers through my hair. "Besides, NYU is in New York and we need to be as far away from here as possible."_

_She gave me a sheepish smile and bent down to kiss the tip of my nose. "You're right. Sorry."_

_I grinned at her as she went back to rearranging the papers. When done, she placed them in a manila envelope and tossed it aside. She sat back and resumed twisting her fingers in my hair. I stared at her as she looked out of the window. "You're excited," I pointed out._

_She looked down smiled at me. "Of course I am," she answered. "You told me yesterday afternoon that we would move away from here, live together, go to college then start a life together; of course I'm excited."_

_I crossed my ankles over the armrest of the couch we currently occupied. "No kidding," I said. "Because here you are, the very next day, with an envelope full of college applications."_

_She had a wistful look on her face as the fingers in my hair entangled themselves and slightly ran down my cheek. I closed my eyes and let myself feel her feather- light touch on my skin. With the type of life that I had, I never expected to find someone like her who accepted me for who I was. One simple moment felt like an eternity to me, one that would forever be embedded in my brain._

_Said fingers went further down to my chin, then to my collarbone where an inch or so of skin was still sore. "It wasn't here when we talked yesterday," she pointed. "Do you want to tell me about it?"_

_I sighed, that moment of blissful contentment gone. "Why, do you want to hear how a forty year-old woman sucked and bit me there?" I asked back._

_I could hear her sigh above me. "You're right; let's not talk about it."_

_I opened my eyes and saw her looking at me. "Doesn't it bother you that yesterday afternoon we were out on a date and then the same night I was having sex with another woman?" I asked, my voice rising._

_"Don't be mad," she said softly. "I was just asking."_

_I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lash out at you."_

_I gave me a small smile. "It's fine. I get it."_

_"Why?" I asked her._

_"Why what?"_

_"Why do you have to be so . . . understanding? Why aren't you disgusted with me?" I asked._

_She blinked. "Where are all these coming from?" she asked, her eyes wide._

_"I'm sleeping with a different woman night after night," I told her. "For all we know, I could be sick. How can you stand being in the same room as me? How can you even look at me like I'm a good person?"_

_"Because you are - "_

_I sat up. "Don't," I said, holding a hand up. "Please don't."_

_I clenched my fists together and placed my chin on top of them, glaring at my television. I knew it wasn't fair on her part but I couldn't help it. A second later I felt her arm on my shoulder. "Hey," she whispered. "Let's just have some dinner, okay? I'm cooking."_

_She stood up and grabbed my hand, leading me to the kitchen._

"Hey, Percy, wait up!" I heard Nico calling me as I headed to where I parked my car. I turned around and saw him running towards me. "Hey," he greeted, breathless.

"Hey," I said back. "What's up?" I asked.

"Everyone's planning to catch a movie. You should come," he invited.

I blinked. I was unused to someone from my school actively trying to talk to me. Sure as hell, I wasn't used to anyone inviting me to a night out. Well . . . in a way, I was, but that always involved some bondage, hickeys and sex. And drugs. Occasionally.

"Everyone?" I asked.

"By that I mean my friends," he corrected himself.

I was tempted to accept the offer, but before my History class ended, I received a text message.

_Katrina Myers. 9 pm. Be in your English schoolboy uniform._

"I have something to do tonight," I told him.

His face fell. "Oh. Some other time, then.

"Some other time," I agreed. I jumped into my car and started the engine. I was about to step on the gas when I noticed Nico still standing beside my Maserati uncomfortably. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

He shuffled his feet. "Well, um. See, I told them I would just catch a ride with you to the mall. Hazel took my car so . . . " He must've seen the incredulous look showing on my face for he quickly added, "That's fine, though, I'll just catch the bus." He turned on his heel and walked away.

I sighed. It appeared that I would forever owe him because he helped me. "Nico," I called. He looked at me over his shoulder. "Get in. I'll drive you to the mall."

A grin appeared on his face as he bounded to the passenger side of my car, looking extremely excited. He strapped on his seatbelt and beamed at me. "What?" I asked him.

"Cool car," he commented, running his fingers on my dashboard.

"It was a gift," I said, maneuvering my car out of the school premises.

His eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. "T-this was a gift? From who?"

I gave him a knowing smirk. "Who do you think?

He nodded in understanding. "A lover?" he wondered. "A sugar mommy? Who - "

"Nico," I said, cutting him off. "When I confirmed what you knew, that doesn't mean that we should talk about it. And since you have graciously mentioned it, let me just tell you this: never, and I mean never, talk about this to anyone. Are we clear?"

Nico visibly gulped. "Um, yeah. Clear. Totally clear. Sorry for mentioning it."

He looked like a kid with his expression, very young to be exposed to a secret such as mine. I sighed. "It's fine. Just don't mention it again."

He nodded and we were quiet for a minute. I turned my player on and searched for my favorite track. Music started playing and my head bobbed automatically to the beat.

_Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep,_

_Dreaming about the things that we could be._

I noticed that Nico was humming along to the tune. I looked at him and couldn't help myself but laugh. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I automatically answered. He glared at me. "It's just I never pegged you for someone who listen to this type of music. I thought you would be into the nu and all metal genre."

"Don't be an ass," he said. "I do like that type of music." He paused. "It's your fault that I took a liking to this band."

I frowned, glancing sideways at him. "How is that my fault?"

His face reddened. "Um . . . remember the crush I told you about?"

I nodded. "You mean me," I said, delivering it in a way that wouldn't make him think I cared that he's into guys.

"Yeah," he said, looking out the window. "You. Last year when I still felt that way, I made it my business to know what kind of stuff you're into. When I found out you like this band, I started listening to them, too." His tone was careful, like he was afraid I'd go berserk and punch him in the face.

I shrugged. "Do you talk about me with your boyfriend?" I asked.

He nearly jumped off his seat. "What?! H-how . . . I mean, that's . . . Huh?!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "It's a giveaway," I answered simply.

"You're not disgusted?" he asked. "You're driving in your car with a guy who used to have a crush on you and you're not the least bothered?"

"Welcome to the 21st century," I told him simply. He seemed unconvinced. "Look, I consider myself a modern, open-minded man. I don't care if there are dudes out there who like dudes; as long as, you know, you don't do anything, we'll stay cool."

He nodded. "And, um, could you not mention anything to anyone about . . . Will? They don't know yet."

I gave him a thumbs up sign.

I pulled into the mall parking lot, killing the engine when I found a parking space. I unbuckled myself and got out of the car. Nico went after me, frowning. "I thought you need to be somewhere else?" he asked.

"I figured since I'm here, might as well grab a few things," I informed him.

"Cool, I'll come with you."

I thought, _Fine, go at your own risk._

I went straight into a drugstore, grabbing a box of the item I had to purchase, smirking at Nico's uneasy expression. "What?" I asked him as I paid and waited for the cashier to wrap my purchase.

"You - you just purchased a box of condoms," he pointed out. "How many times do you have sex on a daily basis?"

I shook my head, finding humor from the cashier's expression. "Enough," I answered simply, grabbing the wrapped package and exiting the store, only to halt when I came across Nico's group of friends. There was Annabeth, Thalia, her brother Jason, Nico's sister, Hazel, and three people I wasn't familiar with.

"Hey, Nico," Hazel greeted. "Hey, Percy. Glad you could join us."

"I'm not," I said. "I just drove Nico here and grabbed something."

"That's unfortunate," Annabeth said, looking disappointed.

I sighed inwardly. "I have somewhere else I need to be," I told them simply. "Well, I won't prevent you from seeing the movie; I'll go now."

"You going home?" asked Annabeth.

I shook my head. "Not really. Need to but something."

"I'll come with you," she offered.

"It's fine," I answered automatically. "I believe you prefer to see the movie."

Nico decided to butt in. "It won't start for the next hour so I guess Annabeth can just meet us at the movie house."

I gave him my death glare. This was getting ridiculous. Yes, I agreed to be more polite to Annabeth but this kid was seriously pushing his luck. I could've walked away then and forgot that deal I made, but I didn't.

I had a choice - either pretend to be friends with them and see if Nico would tell something and the truth would somehow come out, risking more people's lives, or walk away and hoped that it wasn't too late.

I chose to stay. I figured it would be easier for me to keep an eye on them and make sure that they don't get close to the truth if I was close to them.

I sighed. "Alright," I said. "Come on."

Annabeth brightened and joined me as I went to visit the store where I got any formal wear that I needed. The store owner knew me and greeted me when he saw me walk in. "Hiya, Percy." He stopped when he saw my face. "What happened to your eye?"

"Lost a fight with a door," I lied.

Sal winced. "Ouch," he sympathized. "Well, what can I do for you today? Come to get a new coat and tie?" he asked.

"Yep," I told him. "But I need something different this time." I let my voice switch and faked an English accent. "It would extremely helpful if you can help me find something of English boarding school caliber."

He chuckled. "Certainly," he said, eyeing Annabeth. "I believe the young lady would love to see you in it, eh?"

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Oh, no -"

"Yes," I said, cutting her off, still speaking with the faked accent. "Milady would like that very much, thank you."

Sal nodded while Annabeth looked at me, confused. "Well, then, let me find you what you need. Be right back."

"What was that about?" Annabeth demanded when Sal had walked away. I knew Annabeth meant it to sound angry but it didn't come out that way. "You seriously need to stop telling people that I'm your girlfriend."

I feigned shock. "I do not," I countered. "People assume that we're together; I just choose not to correct them."

"It's the same thing," she insisted.

I shrugged. "I thought it would be funny."

"And will you please stop with the accent?" she asked, irritated. "You're not even good."

I smirked at her. "Most find it sexy," I simply said, keeping up the act.

Annabeth's face visibly reddened. "It's not, coming from you; it's extremely annoying."

Sal chose that moment to come back, holding a dark blue coat with matching pants; deep red long sleeves and striped tie. "Here you go," he said, handing me the clothes. "See if they fit."

I went to the fitting room at the end of the store, leaving Annanbeth outside waiting. After removing all my clothes and leaving my undergarment on, I looked at myself in the mirror. The claw marks on my chest were healing nicely, along with the apple-sized bruise on my lower abdomen; my back still had some criss-crossed whip marks but those were starting to close. The one that still looked fresh was the one on my side, running from below my armpit down to my ribcage. A Russian customer's souvenir. I shook my head in disgust. I guess I just have to put some bandages on it later.

I was about to put the pants on when a sudden thought occurred to me and I grinned inwardly. Its torture to be fake-friends with people you don't want to be associated with but it's necessary for these students' safety. That didn't mean I couldn't have my share of fun, though.

Still grinning, I unlatched the door. Annabeth looked up as I stuck my head out. "Hey. I need your help," I told her. "Do you mind?"

She shook her head and stood up. "What?" I grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside the fitting room with me, locking the door. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Percy?!"

"Lower your voice or they would think we're actually doing something." She glared at me, placing her hands on hip. "I just don't know how to tie a tie," I lied.

She visibly fumed. "You could've worn everything else and come out for the tie," she pointed out.

"Yeah, I could've," I agreed. "But I figured you won't mind helping me out." I looked at her, giving her my best puppy dog look. "You don't mind, do you?"

"I certainly do not," she answered. "Though it would make it less awkward if you're not in your underwear. You do realize that this is only the second time we talk outside of school and both times you're only in your . . . your boxers!"

"Boxer briefs," I corrected, completely enjoying her being annoyed.

"No matter," she said, fanning her hands in front of her face. "What I'm saying is you have a little bit of respect for me and do not speak to me while nearly naked."

"Fine," I conceded, slipping the pants on. "Does it bother you?" I asked.

I shuffled her feet. "No."

"Then it won't be much for you to zip me up," I said, putting on the undershirt. She looked at me like I was crazy. "What? Help me up so we can get this done quickly. Or is Annabeth Chase backing up on a challenge?" I knew how much she hates that remark.

She balled her fist and I seriously thought she was going to hit me. Instead, she grabbed the zipper, not caring that her fingers brushed against my jewels and, in one quick motion, dragged it up. "I do not back away from a challenge," she said in a deadly voice.

"I know."

She knitted her eyebrows. "How?"

"Because you're curious and intrigued," I told her. "Combined, those two could be a seriously dangerous thing."

"Those are almost the same," Annabeth pointed out. "And why are they dangerous?"

"Because curiosity killed the cat," I answered simply, starting to place the tie around my neck.

"You're such a liar," she hissed. "You perfectly knew how to do it."

"Oh, yes," I answered non-chalantly. "I was just messing with you. You may go now."

Annabeth took her glare to another level, like she was trying to burn a hole in my forehead. "I swear that one of these days I will get the pleasure of knocking some of your teeth off," she threatened, throwing the door open and stepping outside.

I couldn't drop the grin on my face.

After making sure that everything fit perfectly, I changed back into my regular clothes and went out of the fitting room. Annabeth was there, seething, obviously miffed with what I did. I handed Sal the clothes and some cash and waited for it to be wrapped.

"You're mad," I said Annabeth.

"Oh, what gave it away? Was it the frown? Or was it the scowl?" she asked sarcastically.

I shook my head and reached out to her to rub a thumb between her eyebrows. She flinched but didn't pull away. "It's because of the wrinkle here," I said.

Sal came back and handed me my clothes. "If there's anything else I can get you, or your beautiful girlfriend here, please just ask for me."

"Will do," I said, exiting the store, Annabeth following me.

Next stop was a cosmetics store. I picked up a concealer that was the same as my skin tone and searched for some hair gel.

"Huh," Annabeth said behind me. I turned around to look at her. "Who knew that the asshole known as Percy Jackson is very vain?"

I gave her a glare. "I don't think the one I'm meeting tonight will appreciate it if I look like this."

"So you are meeting someone."

"Why, did I give the impression that I wear these clothes to bed?" I asked in a mocked surprise.

Annabeth shook her head, a knowing smile on her lips. "You know, you can drop the act," she said, making me stop completely. "You do all these snarky, arrogant and, most of the time rude answers when you obviously don't know what to say anymore. It's a defense mechanism of yours."

I turned back to searching for the hair product I needed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Annabeth stepped next to me. "Don't you? she challenged. "Like what you did back there in the fitting room, which was very much like what you did last Friday. Both times were because we were talking about what it is that you've been keeping, both times I was close to the truth. I guess you were counting on me being upset enough not to push it but listen to me when I say that I don't care how deep I need to dig - "

"Don't," I said, cutting her off. "Listen to my warning and stop digging because it won't be long before you find yourself in a hole you won't be able to get out of." I finally found the stupid brand I was looking for which was just on top of the shelf. I went and paid for the items, getting out of the store once it was wrapped, Annabeth following me.

"Your reaction says it all," Annabeth muttered.

"Whatever."

"Your mood swings drive me crazy," said Annabeth. "One second you're almost tolerable and polite then the next you're this insufferable ass who thinks that sex is the only thing that matters."

"Maybe that's the only thing I know," I told her quietly, hoping that she didn't catch it.

It was my rotten luck that she did. "I'm not going to try and ask you what it is," she said. "I know you won't, but if there's one thing you should know about me is that once I focus my eyes on something, I won't stop until I get it and right now, I have my eyes on whatever it is that you're hiding."

I grabbed her arm to stop her from walking away. "And if there's one thing you should know about me is that I'm a dangerous and bad person, so if you're half as smart as they think you are, you will stop right now."

I didn't give her the chance to say more, I walked away and went back to my car.

I straightened my tie and smoothened my suit. When I was satisfied that I looked presentable enough, I went out of my car and rang the Myers' doorbell. I knew the husband was out of town, hence his wife fucking a teenager behind his back.

I'd serviced Katrina Myers a couple of times before. She wasn't as rough as Mindy or Jenny, but she had this weird fetish about English schoolboys. The first time I went to her, I had to learn how to fake an accent.

The door opened and I let myself in. Kat was in her teacher's outfit, hair in a bun and glasses and all. I let the faked accent. "Good evening, Madam. Are we up for a lesson tonight?"

"Of course, love," she answered leading me to her couch. "Do you have what we need?"

"I do," I answered, dropping my bag on the floor.

"Can I interest you with coffee? Soda? Perhaps wine?" she asked.

"I'll have tea, my lady."

It was a stupid role play because it was the same every time. She had a tea pot ready on the table. It's what the client wanted, so whatever. As long she paid me correctly, she could do pretty much anything.

"Here," she said, handing me a cup.

"Thank you." I took a sip of the foul-tasting liquid. I never liked this beverage but Kat expected me to choose it all the time.

Something's different this time, though. The tea was extra sweet and it gave me a heavy feeling. My muscles went numb and my eyelids started to droop. My grip on the cup failed and it fell, splashing my knee with the hot liquid. I wasn't even able to flinch in pain. It was like my whole body was paralyzed.

"W-what did y-you do?"

Kat smiled, removing her hair from the bun, shaking her head in a seductive way. She sat on my lap and started licking my earlobe. "Something I wanted to try," she said. "Something that comes with this." She revealed a syringe filled with a clear liquid.

"G-get that thing away f-from me." I tried to shove her hand away but I was immobile.

She grabbed my hair and yanked my head sideways. Before I could do anything, she had the needle buried in my neck, her thumb pressing the plunger. The liquid entered my bloodstream, the fire it brought licking every nerve until I was writhing in a mix of blissful pain and intolerable pleasure. Whatever it was I was injected with induced some sort of dreams in my head, but they were nothing close to the ones I used to have about my Mom, about Dad, about the one girl I loved.

No. Everything in my dreams screamed. It was absolute chaos.

When I woke up I felt some droplets of water pressing against the side of my face and torso. I was lying on something that made my skin itch. I opened my eyes and quickly shut it when the bright light blinded me. My head hurt terribly. It was like an axe was being used to pry it open. I sat up and slowly let my eyelids part, letting myself adjust to the sudden light. When I could take it, I surveyed my surrounding. The house in front of me was familiar, the old swing set at the corner, the toolshed next to it - they were all things I recognized. It took me a moment to realize that I was in my backyard. How I got there, I didn't know.

Memories of what happened flashed in my mind - Kat's tea, the heaviness that infused my limbs and the needle she stuck in me. I unconsciously ran a finger at the right side of my neck where she injected me, feeling the irritated skin. I made quick check of myself. I was wearing only my underwear with all my clothes scattered around me. My backpack was dumped beside me, its contents spilling around it - nothing seemed to be out of order. I didn't feel any different. Aside from the pounding in my skull, I felt relatively fine.

I stood up slowly, finding that my muscles were jerky and kept on shaking. Must've been a side effect of the drug. I picked up my phone only to nearly drop it when I saw the date.

November 19.

I was at the Myers' evening of November 17. That couldn't be possible . . . I was out for two days? I accessed my inbox and saw that I nearly have a hundred messages. Some from Annabeth, some from Horace. There were unregistered numbers that showed, messages from my schoolmates asking where I was.

I went to my call register and saw that I had as much numbers of missed calls. I only had my eyes on one number, though.

_Kronos._ It wasn't his real name. As far as I knew they all had codenames, depending on their position.

I hit the redial button and waited.

"There he is!" he greeted cheerfully when he answered.

"What the fuck happened?" I demanded. "I was unconscious for two days because of some type of drug that was injected to me by force. That was not part of the deal!"

"Eh, Percy," Kronos said from the other side. "Mrs. Myers simply wanted to try that on you. And she was very pleased. Shouldn't that count for something?"

"No!" I yelled, picking up my clothes and belongings. "We agreed that I'm not to be drugged in any way."

"How is that any different from you taking Vertigo?" asked Kronos.

"That was me doing it willingly," I countered, slamming my back door shut and heading to my kitchen. "This is unacceptable."

I heard him sigh from the other line. "This is a business, Percy," Kronos pointed out. "Things like this do happen; we can't stop it. Didn't she pay you extra for it?"

She did. The envelope that was sitting at the bottom of my backpack was the thickest one I received as a payment. "It doesn't matter," I insisted, still fuming. "This is a clear violation of what we agreed on."

"Alright, what do you want?" he asked.

The drug must still have some lingering effect on my brain because if I was in the right state of mind, I wouldn't have asked for it that way. Heck, I wouldn't have asked at all; I would've disappeared. "My freedom," I said. "I'm done. I'm quitting."

"Percy, you know that can't happen," Kronos answered.

"Why not?" I asked. "You run this stupid organization, you surely can cut me off."

There was another sigh. "Percy, listen. I'm a man of my words. When I said that I would let you come back in New York after 3 years of being with us, I did, didn't I? You asked for Tyson to be untouchable and I did everything in my power to make sure that he would be. Everytime you ask for something, I deliver. All I ask is you stay with us and help us keep our clients happy, is that really too much?"

"It is when your clients drug me and I missed two days of school!"

Kronos chuckled. "Is Percy Jackson starting to care for something like school?"

"Do not change the subject."

"Very well, then," said Kronos. I heard some shuffling from the other side before he responded. "You know that I cannot do that. I'm bound by the rules and I'm afraid you have to stay with us. If you don't, we'll be forced to retaliate and I take it that you don't want anything to happen to your pretty blonde friend, now, do you?"

I stopped. It was a clear threat. I knew very well that Kronos could carry out a threat. "Do not touch her," I said through gritted teeth. "Do not touch any of them."

Kronos chuckled. "Then I guess we have a deal," he said, ending the call.

I tossed my phone aside, my heart hammering in my chest. Kronos was threatening to do something to innocent people because of me. I learned the hard way that when Kronos said something like that, if I put as much as a foot out of the line, they would strike.

I shook my head to dispel any more thought and remembered what I heard my first month with them. I wasn't supposed to hear them. Kronos told me not to follow him and Gaea talk with someone.

_"He's a loose cannon," a man I didn't know said. "Bring him in and he could bring us down."_

_"All the more reason to keep him with us," Kronos answered simply._

They thought they had all the upper hands but they were wrong. I always followed them and did whatever it was they asked of me, but not this time. I wasn't going to stand by and watch as they hurt innocent people.

_I'm gonna show them how right they were, _I thought.

_Who's the girl in the beginning?_

**[Next - Chapter 6 - END OF THE AFFAIR]**


	6. Chapter 6: End of the Affair

_**A/N: **__Hi there. I'm sure you've been wondering what Percy meant when he thought that he's going to show Kronos that he was right to think he is a loose cannon. Well, that is answered in this chapter._

_One thing: I've written in Chapter 1 that Annabeth is attending Chemistry. I got that wrong. They are all seniors in this story (even Nico and Hazel). I'm not sure how highschool curriculum works in U8S of A but here it's Physics for Seniors, so please ignore that. They're all seniors._

**_ADayWithNoLaughterIsADayWasted:_** _I'm glad that you liked it. And I didn't know there's such a thing as "Nicercy." :D_

**_percabethluva639 & bambino01:_** _One of you got it correctly. :D_

**_ProdigiXvX:_** _Hi. Haven't heard from you in some time. How's everything? Thank you for checking this story out and providing me a feedback. To answer your question, right now I think it will be a trio. (Percy, Annabeth, Nico). I just don't see how I will be able to fit everyone into the story line (I'm lazy that way). Annabeth is there for obvious reason while Nico, as I've said, will be a comrade. Who knows, though, everything is changing constantly, so I guess we'll just have to see._

_Anyway, thanks again! :D_

_There is an album mentioned in this chapter. Matthew West's __**The Story of Your Life**__. If you haven't heard it, I suggest you do. That album is a masterpiece and gives me inspiration everytime (not just in writing but in life, as well.)_

_DON'T JUST READ, LEAVE A REVIEW!_

**DEMONS**

Chapter 6: END OF THE AFFAIR

ANNABETH

"B+," he said, crumpling the test paper on his hand. I bit my lip as I watched my father toss aside what I worked on like it meant nothing to him. "You used to be a straight-A student. A- was the lowest you got ever since you started school and now this? This is unacceptable."

We were in our kitchen, having a heated discussion about my most recent test result. Normal parents would've been thankfully with a B+, and wouldn't have made such a big fuss out of it just because it was the first time their daughter got something less than an A.

Not my father, though.

He was also a smart student back in highschool. He had a perfect life. He was being eyed by the most renowned universities in the country, his dreams were just within his reach, not to mention the fact that he had the perfect girlfriend: my mother. They'd been together since sophomore year and they we're planning on attending Stanford together and get an apartment together. Once they graduated, they would start their own company, get married at the right time and raise their children.

That didn't happen, though.

My mother got pregnant mid-Senior year. And everything went downhill from there.

Her pregnancy was very delicate. She wasn't allowed to be stressed or even stand for a long period of time, otherwise she would've lost me. My mother stopped attending school, even when she was almost through highschool. And because both of their families shunned them, they had to find somewhere else to live while waiting for my mother to give birth.

My father's older brother, who lived in Boston took them in. At this point my father had already stopped attending school and was working three jobs to save money.

Then I was born.

It was said that sometimes when a life ends, a new one starts. That was true that night, July 12, 1997. I was born, but my mother died giving birth to me.

My father was devastated. He was inconsolable, my uncle had told me. After staying with him and his nephew - my cousin, Magnus - my father packed his bags and went to New York City, with his newborn daughter, hoping to find a stable source of income and to start a new life, to forget.

It wasn't easy. Just like what my Dad liked to remind me - I took everything from him. I took my mother away from him and crushed all his dreams. As I was growing up, he never accepted anything less than perfect in everything I do.

"Dad, it was just one exam," I pointed out. "Besides, I can do so much better in my next one."

"No," he said. "You have never gotten a grade this low. Something is distracting you. What is it, or better yet, who is it?"

I sighed. "Dad, there's no one."

"Well maybe it's that Goth freak of a friend you have? Or is it the gay one?"

That set me off. I could bear him hating me but not my friends, too. "If it wasn't for that _Goth freak_ you were referring to, I would've been hospitalized last month. And if that _gay kid_ didn't defend me, I would be the laughingstock and punching bag of the school."

"Then maybe it's you."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Are you serious right now? First you are prejudiced about my friends who you don't even bother to get to know, and now you're saying that I'm doing something to ruin your perfect family? Are you for real?"

He slammed his hand on the table. "Do not raise your voice at me!"

"Stop being accusatory," I said back. "You don't know anything."

"Tell me, then," he demanded. "Tell me why on your last year in highschool, you got a B+."

I didn't want to tell him the truth. How was I to tell someone who never listened to me that I got distracted because a friend of mine hadn't been heard from for the past two days?

"It's nothing," I lied.

He looked me in the eyes. "You know I don't believe that."

"As weird as it is, I do know," I answered, unable to hide the accusation from lacing my tone. "When did you ever believe me, anyway?"

His eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, Dad, you tell me," I said.

He leaned forward to me. "Annabeth, I don't need to remind you that I'm still the parent in this house and I will not be spoken to with that tone," he said, his voice rising.

"That's just it, isn't it, Dad?" I asked, my throat suddenly tight. "You're the parent and I'm the child. You were the one who's supposed to look after me; you're the one I'm supposed to turn to whenever I have issues but you're always busy. It's either Matthew has a game or Bobby needs help with his assignment or your wife wants you to the grocery with her - you never have any time for me!"

"Don't you dare drag them into this!" he yelled, pointing a finger accusingly at me.

"And don't think that I don't need you!" I yelled back, unable to keep the tears from spilling from my eyes. "Dad, I get that you hate me because Mom chose to die to save me. I get that you lost your first love because of me but I lost my mother, too! No, not just her, because even when you are here, I'd already lost you."

"I have a family to look after, Annabeth, do I need to remind you of that?" he challenged. "Your brothers are both seven and they need more attention than you, not to mention the wife I need to keep happy and the job I need to keep. I know it doesn't seem this way to you, but the world doesn't revolve around you."

That was worst than getting slapped. "And it doesn't seem this way to you but I need my father, too! I'm not asking to keep you away from them, Dad. I only ask a little bit of your time. Maybe five minutes each day would do but you don't care." I stood up, knocking the chair over. I grabbed my bag and dug through my things to get the three letters I received earlier this week. "You don't care enough that you didn't even notice these letters lying on your doorstep." I opened one and tossed him the paper inside. "Oh, look, Annabeth got accepted in an early placement program in not just one but three universities. Harvard, Stanford and Yale. I didn't even hear a congratulations from you. You know, I'm planning to choose Stanford. That's your school of choice, isn't it? Because I want to fulfill the dreams that you never got to attain. Everything I do, I do to make you proud, except you choose to ignore every single accomplishment I've ever achieved and selectively look into what I wasn't able to do. It's either you're pretending that I don't exist or you're completely on my case."

I slung my backpack over my shoulder and headed to the door.

"Annabeth!"

"Busy day, Dad, can't you see that?" I said over my shoulder.

He was saying something but I didn't want to hear it. I walked to the bus stop and waited for one. When I was seated, I let the rest of the tears escape, not even caring that there was a bus full of people who could see me.

I didn't care.

I made sure that I looked presentable enough when I got off, though. I knew that there was no way I could keep my crying from Thalia but I still had to try.

Thalia sighed when she saw me. "You seriously have to stop crying because of Percy," she said.

I wiped my cheeks. "I'm not crying."

"And I like wearing heels," she said sarcastically. "Besides, you don't have to mope around anymore."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She nodded to my right. "He's back," she said.

I saw Percy's silver Maserati, him rummaging for something in his trunk. I'll talk to you later," I told Thalia, walking to where he was. "Hey."

Percy looked up but accidentally banged his head on the cover of his trunk. "Ow, fuck!" he cussed. He slammed it shut then looked at me. "Oh. Annabeth."

"Percy," I answered, crossing my arms over my chest. "Where have you been?" I asked him. "Why were you gone for two days?"

He raised his eyebrows at me. "Sorry, are you my mother?"

I felt my cheeks heating up. "I-I was just worried. Did you get my texts? What about my calls?"

He nodded. "I did," he said. "And may I add that my inbox and call register nearly exploded because of those messages and calls. One of each would've worked as well as 48."

"Why didn't you answer, then?" I asked.

"Sorry, jeez, I didn't think I was obligated," he said, rounding his car and getting his bag from the backseat. He locked the doors and started to walk to the entrance. "I'm here now, aren't I?"

"Where were you anyway?" I asked as I fought to keep up with his strides.

"Out of town," he answered simply. "I had to deal with some business matter."

"What business matter?" I asked.

"Something that you don't really need to know," said Percy. "Look, I'll catch up with you later; I just need to go do something."

Those happened yesterday.

Today was November 20th, Thursday. We arrived rather late at school. Thalia was to blame. It took half an hour for me to wake her up. Because she was the one with the car and I didn't really want to catch the bus, I had to wait for her. I didn't go home and Dad, nor my step-mother tried to contact me. It was one of the twins who sent me a text, asking where I was. I knew this for a fact that the message was typed without any vowels in it. I replied that I had some school work to finish.

We had only a minute to spare when we stepped inside the building. The whole school was buzzing. Students were hushed tightly in groups and were whispering with each other. It was normal for teenagers to be chatty but there was something different with how they talked. I could remember that there had only been two instances that this happened: first was when Holly and Jeff Wright broke up because Holly was cheating with Jeff's best friend, Adam, and the other one was when Coach Hedge had a heart attack during P.E.

"What do you think they're talking about?" asked Thalia.

I shrugged. I tried to listen but all I got was that it had something to do with Mrs. Woods.

"Thalia! Annabeth!" a voice called. I looked back to see Piper and the rest of the gang rushing to where we were. "Have you heard?" she asked.

"Heard what?" Thalia wondered.

"Remember that rumor about Percy and Mrs. Woods?" We both nodded. "Well, it appears that it's true," Piper said, throwing me a glance.

"What?!" Thalia asked in surprise.

My friends started murmuring along with the rest of the students. Meanwhile, my mind was racing. When Percy told me that he was indeed having an affair with Mrs. Woods, I thought it was only to aggravate me so I would stop asking questions.

That bite mark on Percy's shoulder, could Mrs. Woods be the one responsible for that? What about those claw marks? Last Monday, Percy said he was meeting someone. Was that someone Mrs. Woods? Was he with her the two days he was gone?

"So, they really were having an affair?" Thalia wondered.

"Not really," said Juniper. I glanced up, looking at her. "Annabeth, it appears that Percy and Mrs. Woods have been having a sexual relationship since the start of the school year . . . and Percy was not . . . he was not participating willingly. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

A cold feeling dropped into my stomach, like I swallowed cubes of ice. So that's why he's been so distant. That's why every time he didn't know what to say, he started seducing me. It was all because . . . because he was being abused. I felt hotness at the back of my eyelids, ashamed of all the unkind thoughts I'd had about him. I considered that he was dealing drugs, that he was involved in a gang, that he was stealing from people, hence his lack of problem in the financial department. And all these crossed my mind at once, when I was so mad at him, when he said that my mother was absentee. It seemed that he was one of those people who thought she just disappeared when the truth was she gave up her life to so that I could have mine.

But this wasn't about me. This was about Percy. I'd thought about all those horrible thoughts about him when all along . . . when all along . . .

I found myself trying to fight against the current which was my schoolmates. "Annabeth, what do you think you're doing?" asked Thalia.

"I have to see him," I said in an unsteady voice. Nico stepped in front of me, blocking my path. My voice started to rise. "Step aside, I need to see him!"

"That won't be possible," said Grover. "He's in the principal office right now, being interviewed by the school board and police. I guess it's because of this whole fiasco that even when the bell should've rung five minutes ago, we are still here. I guess everyone's shocked."

"Is he okay?" I asked no one in particular.

"He's . . . he's hurt," Nico said. "It seems that Mrs. Woods was rather . . . I guess you can say rough."

Even though I could feel redness on my cheeks, I was still very much worried about Percy. It must've been terrible to go through something like that. And he had no one to talk to about it. How alone he must've felt through this whole ordeal. Maybe he was also threatened, which was why he didn't tell anyone about it.

Then I noticed Nico. Everyone in the group was either stunned, worried, or in Thalia's case, disgusted. Nico's expression, however, was neutral, like such knowledge didn't surprise him.

"You know something, don't you?" I asked him.

"W-what?" he stammered.

He hesitated, which lead me to believe that he did know something. Before he could protest, I grab his backpack and dragged him to a corner, away from our friends. "What do you know?" I demanded.

"Um, see, Annabeth, it's not really mine to tell," said Nico.

"Nico, Percy has been abused for months," I pointed out. "You know something and you didn't say anything?"

"Eh, I didn't really know what's happening," Nico argued. "He did confirm something but he didn't tell me the whole truth. And Annabeth, I know you're concerned but I made a promise to Percy that I wouldn't tell anyone."

I sighed in defeat. "Fine. I guess I'll just have to talk to Percy myself."

The bell rang, ten minutes later than the start of classes. Students half-heartedly made their way to their first period, still talking about this latest bit of news.

"I'll see you at lunch," I told Nico.

"Yeah."

I found Thalia and we went to attend English. I could tell that everyone, even the teachers, were distracted. Mr. Blofis, who probably was the only teacher in school that Percy respected and listened to started to discuss the lesson, though I could tell his head was elsewhere.

Thalia raised her hand mid-discussion. "Yes, Ms. Grace?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Blofis, but I was just wondering if there's any update about Percy?" The small talks around stopped as we all leaned forward to listen.

He sighed. "I figured that you will ask me," he said. "The school board felt that it is to everyone's best interest that we do not divulge too much information, but we also know that it is futile to try and keep it from you; you will just find another way to learn about what happened. I'd been authorized to talk about this matter, but I cannot tell you everything, is that clear?" We all nodded. "I guess the question that is playing in your minds is how did we find out? A memory card was left outside of Dr. Lopez's office - something that contained a taped, ah, interaction between them." Everyone in the room was hanging onto Mr. Blofis' every word. "As to who it was, we do not know yet. The school board had started a special investigation committee to get to the bottom of this. And because this happened inside the school premises, local authorities are getting involved."

He paused, hesitating. I didn't need a super brain to figure out what it was that he's hiding: if found that no one noticed that an underage student was being molested by one of the school faculties, chances were the school would be closed.

"Mr. Jackson also has to receive some debriefing and physical and psychological evaluation to further assess his condition," Mr. Blofis continued. "He might not be able to join us today."

"Um, Mr. Blofis?" Jeremy Hanes called.

We all turned to him. He was closest to door, which lead us to see him. No, not Jeremy. _Him_. He was looking ahead, not really making eye contact with anyone. There was a bruise on his left jaw and the opposite side of his neck was covered in gauze, which probably was dotted with hickeys and bite marks. His bangs were falling on his forehead, shielding his eyes, but that didn't hide the fact that he looked extremely mad. His hands were balled in fist, veins bulging, and I nearly ducked under my chair in fear that he might hit someone.

Mr. Blofis smiled kindly at him. "Mr. Jackson, so glad you could join us."

"They - they cleared me. Said I could join my class," he said, looking around. "That is if your students don't mind having a freak around."

Nobody really knew what to say. How do you comfort someone who was abused, anyway?

It was Thalia's ability to just set aside whatever issue there is that saved us. "Are you kidding me?" she asked brusquely. "We'd love to have a freak like you, you freak. Come on!"

Nobody laughed, but anyone could see the corner of Percy's lips curving up in a smile. He entered and made his way to his seat near the window.

My eyes followed his movements, scrutinizing even the tiniest twitch of his arms. I knew he was hurting and he was trying to cover it up by looking angry.

"All righty," said Mr. Blofis, calling the class to attention. "Because Dr. Lopez felt that you guys need to exercise speech, she asked me to spend a day doing an oral examination - now if you're thinking I'll spend the day poking in your mouths and checking your teeth, you seriously need a reality check." The whole class laughed. Everyone adored Mr. Blofis. He was cool for a teacher and didn't really spend his time looking under everyone's nose, trying to see faults. "What I mean is that we will have what I like to call . . . 'Line Battle!' Ever heard of it?" There was a unified answer of no within the class. "Of course, you haven't; I just made it up. Now here's how it's going to work: I'll call a name and said person will have to come up with an inspiring phrase or sentence. Excited? Need time to think? Too bad we're starting." He looked around the room while majority of the class tried to avoid his gaze. "Mr. Reese."

Tyrone stared back at him with a blank expression. "Uh . . . time is gold?"

His group laughed. "Thank you, Mr. Reese. That was very original." Mr. Blofis was now walking around the classroom looking for the next student. "Mr. Hayward."

Drake looked up. He looked sleepy and no doubt was not listening to the discussion. "Um . . . what?"

"A line, Mr. Hayward," Mr. Blofis repeated. "Any inspirational line you can come up with?"

"Oh . . . uh . . . if you cannot change the direction of the wind, adjust your sail," he said.

Mr. Blofis grinned. "Not bad," he said. "Ms. Li."

Anastasia stood up. "When it rains, go out and dance in it. Have fun. Laugh. Sing. You will be soaked. You will catch a cold but in the process, you were happy. You smiled through it and the next time it rains, you will be ready and will be able to whether a stronger storm."

Mr. Blofis gave an approving nod. "Very impressive, Ms. Li. Thank you." His eyes then landed on me. "Ms. Chase?"

I stood up. I didn't really have something in my mind, unless Percy counted, so I just let myself talk without thinking. "Bad things happen," I began. "We fall down and bleed. People suffer - it's something that we cannot avoid." Unconsciously, my head turned to the right to catch Percy's pained green eyes. "But we do not have to go through it alone. There are people who can help us; we just have to let them. Because people care." Right then I knew I wasn't talking for the grade, I was doing it for a friend. I didn't want Percy to feel alone. "I care," I said softly, looking directly into his eyes.

Mr. Blofis was about to provide a feedback but Percy raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Jackson?"

He didn't even stand up when he spoke. "Roses have thorns; night has day; white has black. Every single thing in the world has something that can hurt you. Do not think otherwise because pain is inevitable."

"But suffering is optional," I quickly said, quoting something I heard. "And you don't have to do it on your own. There's someone out there who wants to carry your burden with you. Someone who will own your pain."

Percy stood up and looked at me. "You have to learn how to deal with it alone," he said, no doubt speaking only to me. "You're on your own out in the real world. Even your shadow abandons you when you're in darkness."

"In darkness only will we come to appreciate light," I answered. "In suffering only will we come to know strength. And in complete blackness you are not alone. Never. Extend your arm and someone is reaching out to hold your hand."

"No, because - "

"All right," Mr. Blofis cut Percy off, clapping his hands. "That has been very informative. Thank you, Ms. Chase and Mr. Jackson." Percy and I both sat down. Mr. Blofis went on and kept on calling names. It went on until the end of first period.

I wanted to catch Percy and talk to him but he was out of the room even before anyone. I stuffed my things in my backpack and went to my next class.

I didn't get the chance to actually talk to him until lunch, even when we shared the period before it. By then, I thought he wasn't joining us. Half of the lunch hour had gone and he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Nico, too. I was starting to think that they weren't going to show up when I spotted them walking to our table.

Nico sat beside Hazel, leaving Percy to seat at the only vacant space. Beside me. He wasn't looking at me, eyes trained on his tray. I looked at him closely. The bruise on his face was fresh, reddish black in color.

I couldn't stop myself from asking. "How are you?"

He looked at me like I was crazy. "I don't know, Annabeth, you tell me," he said sarcastically.

"Hey, don't be mad at me; I was just concerned," I said defensively.

"Annabeth, you don't have to be," he told me. "I can look after myself. Have been for the past thirteen years so I don't need anyone."

"You're just saying that because - "

"Annabeth," he stopped me. "I don't really want to talk about it. And I don't want your friends to not enjoy their lunch because of me." He stood up and grabbed his things. "I'll talk to you later. Meet me at my car after school." He looked at Nico. "You, too."

With that, he walked away.

"Have you seen Nico?" asked Percy as soon as he was within earshot.

School had ended and I'd been waiting for him for almost fifteen minutes. I tried to find Nico, but failed. I'd sent him text messages but he was not answering. Thalia and the rest of our group decided to hang out at Piper's place so they drove there together, leaving us. Whatever it was that Percy was going to tell us seemed pretty important.

"No," I answered, shrugging. "I'd sent him texts, though."

Percy opened the driver's side and tossed his backpack inside. "Have you tried calling him?" he wondered.

"Right," I agreed, fetching my phone and dialling Nico's number.

It took him nearly a minute before responding. "Hey," he greeted, somewhat breathless. I could feel myself frowning. "What's up?"

"Percy and I are waiting for you," I reminded him.

There was a silent curse from the other line before Nico spoke again. "Sorry. I forgot."

"Where are you anyway?" I asked.

"Um . . . the library," he said.

Then I put two and two together and smiled despite of myself. "And have they placed a gym inside the library without informing the student body president?" I teased. Percy rolled his eyes and mouthed the word _Hurry._ "Anyway, hurry up and we're waiting for you."

"Come on," Percy said, taking my wrist and dragging me to the driver's side. He opened the door and motioned for me to get inside.

I stubbornly crossed my arms over my chest. "Not until you tell me why I'm here." Percy rolled his eyes. He then placed a hand at the back of my neck and nearly shoved me inside. "Hey!" He circled the car and got in the driver's seat. "Are you going to tell me now?" I asked.

"Let's just wait for Nico," he answered.

Nico appeared five minutes later, smoothing his shirt and combing his hair. He looked around and saw the car, starting to head towards us. Percy unlocked the backdoor, allowing him in. "Hey guys," he greeted. I turned my body sideways to roll my eyes at him. "What?"

"Next time, no need to lie and just tell me you're making out with Will," I told him.

His eyes widened. "What - "

"Let's talk about this later," Percy said, cutting him off. He started the car and took a different route. He didn't take the back exit or the one up front. Instead, he took the one behind the tables laid out by the cafeteria. Said pathway was hidden by a thick patch of bush. It was really a walkway, which meant students used it as a driveway.

"Are you going to tell us now?" I asked again.

Percy nodded to my side. Both Nico and I looked. Through the building hiding said path we were in, I could see white vans with satellite disks on top. There were people in suits, microphones and cameras.

"Reporters," Nico said. He grinned. "Wicked." Percy glared at him. "I mean n-not cool," he corrected. "Why are they here?"

"Why do you think?" Percy asked.

"So you're avoiding them," I deduced. "I just don't see where we fit in this." Nico nodded his assent. "Are you going to start sharing?"

Percy was quiet for a while, driving through the tricky path. "I don't know how but it somehow slipped to them that you two are . . . " He hesitated. "That you two are . . ."

"That we're you're friends?" I suggested.

"That I'm talking to you two," he corrected. "They are not allowed anywhere near me. Because I'm the _victim_ and underage, I'm being protected. That doesn't mean they'll stop. They'll try to gather information through others."

"And because we're closest to you, that means they'll interview us?" asked Nico. "I don't see how that's a problem. I mean, thirty minutes of fame, right? Or was it fifteen?" He must've seen the look on our faces for his face reddened. "I'm just gonna stop talking right now," he said, sitting back.

I looked at Percy. "I wasn't even aware that Nico and I are the closest to you," I said quietly. I wasn't trying to hurt him, just being honest. I wasn't even sure if it was hurt that crossed Percy's expression.

"That's what they assume, anyway," he said. "There's one more thing. Mrs. Woods' husband now knows about his wife's indiscretion. It's safe to assume that he'll come after me." He looked at me, then at Nico through the rearview mirror. "And because of this information out, he might come after you, too."

"Why would he do that?" Nico asked. "His wife raped you and - " he caught himself, realizing how sensitive this subject really is. "I'm sorry."

"What Nico is trying to say is that after what Mrs. Woods has done, why would her husband try to hurt you? That doesn't make any sense," I said.

"Annabeth, I met the guy," he said. We were now at the local road, cars honking behind us. "He's not exactly a reasonable man. It's better to be careful." He paused, stepping on the brakes. I looked up and saw that we were now at Nico's house. How did I not notice that? "Another thing: because the Woods might come after us, I need you two close to me as much as possible. I'll pick you up every morning and drive you home. If you need to be somewhere, tell me."

"What?" I asked

"Cool!" Nico exclaimed, grinning like a madman. I looked at him. "I mean, come on, Annabeth, being driven to and from school in a silver Maserati? That's nuts! It's like getting a driver. A gorgeous driver -" he caught himself again, his face turning a giant tomato. "I'm seriously shutting up right now."

Percy shook his head. "I'm not asking, Annabeth," he said. "You are getting caught up in my mess because I wasn't careful. Now I need to make sure you're not gonna get hurt."

We were already at Nico's house at this point. "Works for me," Nico said, obviously not shutting up. "Hey, you guys. I gotta go. I'm Skyping Dad in five. I'll see you in the morning, Percy. Annabeth." He grabbed his backpack and got out, running to his house.

Once he was inside, Percy drove off in silence. I really wanted him to talk. After this terrible ordeal he went through, he must be keeping a lot of emotions and thoughts and bottling those up wouldn't be a good thing, so I found myself saying ,"You can talk to me about it, if you want to."

Percy was looking straight ahead. "I don't want to."

"I'm not saying you do it right now," I told him. "I understand that you need time to deal with it yourself. But I want you to remember that I'm here for you."

He glanced at me sideways. "Don't, Annabeth," he said. "Don't say that."

"Is there a law stating that I cannot speak the truth?" I asked him.

"No," he answered. "But there is an unspoken and unwritten law of humanity stating that one should not drag another into a mess he got himself into."

"You don't have to go through it alone," I insisted.

For some reason, this made Percy chuckle. "Annabeth, I've been going though everything alone, in case you haven't noticed," he pointed out.

"Not anymore, you don't."

He frowned, looking back at me. "I don't get why this means so much to you," he said. "I don't get why helping me is such a big deal. Are you really that desperate for a project?"

I could feel my face heating up in a mixture of anger and hurt. I knew that Percy was just lashing out, though, so I didn't let that get to me. "I'm not turning you into a project."

"Oh, yes, you are," said Percy. "The way you look at me says it all. You look at me like I'm a broken toy that needs fixing. And let me tell you that I don't need it." He paused, looking at me as if to see if I understood his words. "Think of it this way: it's every schoolboy's fantasy to fuck his hot teacher. Can't say that there's a lot out there who actually get to do it, right? I'm proud that I'm one of them."

Percy tried for a smile but failed miserably. He looked away to cover it up but it was too late; I'd seen it - a look that thrust a cold hand to grip my heart. His sea green eyes that were always so full of light even when he was being sarcastic or even seductive, had been ruined. Then, his eyes were dark, like the color had been sucked out from watching too much drama in a black and white television. His irises had been shattered by this cruel life. The wounds and scars on his body would heal, and given time, would fade but the wounds inside him - the real remembrance of what he had to endure - those would take time. Years, maybe, and those won't even be gone by then.

I didn't hesitate. I took his hand and squeezed it. He tried to pull away but I gripped his tightly. "I'm not going to force you to talk to me about it but I want you to know that the person I mentioned who will be willing to own your pain - she's not just words, Percy; she's here with you."

Percy pulled away from my grasp and this time, I let him, seeing that we were already by my house. He stopped the car and looked at me. "I'll pick you up first tomorrow."

I nodded, but didn't go out just yet. Instead, I took my iPod from my pocket and plugged it to his car sound system. I searched for the album and played the first song on the list, one that I thought Percy needed to hear.

Music started to play as I look at him. "I'm going to lend you this and I want you to listen to this album. _The Story of Your Life_ and you will know that you're never alone."

The words of the song started to pour out.

_You have carried the weight of your secret for way too long,_

_Thinking if there is a place called forgiveness you don't belong._

_Well, but freedom can never be found behind those walls,_

_So just let them fall._

"Thank you for the ride," I told him and got out of the car. I didn't look back and went straight inside. Luckily, Dad wasn't home yet so I didn't have to worry about another shouting match.

I headed to my room and closed the door, slumping down on my bed. There was a sharp pain in my chest that had been there since morning and was amplified by my conversation with Percy. The warmth at the back of my eyelids returned and this time, I didn't hold it back. I cried, burying my face in my pillow to muffle the sound.

It took me some time to even understand why I was crying that bad. I was hurt because Percy was hurt. I was hurt because he felt alone. I was hurt because he was . . .

_What does that mean then?_ I thought.

There was a voice at the back of my head that provided me the answer but I didn't acknowledge it. It was such a short period of time for that to be possible. Or was it really a short period of time? Did this start years ago, culminating and boiling beneath the surface despite the distance, and was just waiting to be fully understood?

I wanted to get to the bottom of whatever it was that I felt. I wanted to understand it. I'd made a silent vow that I would help Percy get through this, but I didn't think I would be that effective if I was struggling with my own feelings.

How do you understand something like this, anyway?

I didn't know. I wasn't sure. Only one thing I was certain then: being involved with Percy Jackson could very well be the death of me.

_**A/N:**__Yeah, I'm a silly guy. I just had to put myself in there. Sorry._

**[Next - Chapter 7: AIN'T IT FUN?]**


	7. Chapter 7: Ain't It Fun?

_**A/N: **__It hasn't been a week and I'm already updating. :D_

_One thing: Chapter 5 introduced a mystery girl who has a connection with Percy. I don't intend to keep the suspense for long, and this chapter reveals who she is. I have mentioned already before why I chose her and before I'm given the hate because there's another girl in Percy's life other than Annabeth, let me just say that she is from the past while Annabeth is from the present and Percy is living in the present, though what happened to him in the past will greatly impact his decisions. I'd established in my other stories that i don't change the course of my stories just because there are others who doesn't like Percy being involved with someone else. Everything I write is for a reason. For those who understand, I truly thank you._

**_AncientTide:_**_ Thank you for the reviews you provided fro each chapter. :D_

**_bambino01, percabethluva6396:_** _That is answered here. :D_

**_the things that define you:_** _I have to ask, why did you think it's her?_

**_Jessica Jasso:_**_ Thank you! :D_

**_AliceTonksHPJ:_** _May I ask what's with the A/N that you like? :D_

**DEMONS**

Chapter 7: AIN'T IT FUN?

**PERCY**

"That was quite a move you pulled on us," Kronos said from the other line. I imagined how he looked like that particular moment: unhappy and mad. I knew he had the urge to punish me but couldn't really do it.

"You can't hurt anyone," I reminded him. "The school is being closely watched by the police and even some branches of the government. Should anything happen to any of the students, particularly the ones that you mentioned, they would see it as an act of retaliation. Now you don't want that to be traced back to you, do you?"

"Maybe," he answered. "It was complex and carefully planned, Percy. One that I think you got from me." There was a hint of smugness on his voice, like he was actually taking credit for me being clever enough to pull off a stunt like that.

Looking back at it, what I did probably wasn't the right move. Surely I'd incurred the entire organization's wrath. Thing was, I wasn't the only one who could get caught in the cross-fire. But when I weighed the good it would do, I knew I at least did something decent for once.

"How did you do it, anyway?" he asked.

It was pretty simple. Next time that I was scheduled to service Mindy, I planted a recording device near her table. Because I didn't have any problem with money, and I had Horace, who was an ex-soldier, I was able to buy some toys. What I used was a camera the size of a nickel, which I stuck on top of one of the seats closest up front. It recorded and transmitted real time to a storage device I'd set up in my car.

After that, I just had to play the part of the scared teenager who was being forced into a sexual act by his teacher. She went all out and decorated my neck with bite marks and hickeys and even hit me. I thought Mindy liked it especially when I begged.

_Please don't hurt me. Please stop. Please let me go. _

It all added a nice touch to the final product, which I then left outside the principal's office. The very next morning, I was summoned by the school board and started asking me questions about said affair. Mindy was also in the room and she looked shocked. I just pretended to be scared, which wasn't hard.

If people looked at me before like I was a freak, now they couldn't seem to decide what to make of me. There were whispers that I could hear even when I was still in the office.

They wanted to keep me there, and not have me go back to class. The issue why I wasn't in foster care because of me being underage was also discussed. I wasn't in the least bit worried. "I have a family friend looking after me," I told them. I gave them Horace's number and waited as they made a phone call. I knew Horace had some connections, strings that he could pull. Even if it failed, I could always direct them to Kronos. There was no way that the organization would let me fall under the government's supervision.

With the promise that I would contact the police directly if I felt threatened, they released me. The whispers got louder when I walked out of the room, despite the fact that class had already started. Students even pointed at me like I was some sort of a freak set up for their amusement.

Then there was Annabeth.

I honestly didn't know what to make up of that girl. She didn't give up, even with all the hostilities I threw her way. She was so persistent to learn the truth, that she didn't know she was putting her life in danger. But because of what I'd done, I did put her in danger. It was ironic. I took precautions to protect her, but in the end I sealed her fate when I did what I did.

But then, there was a side-effect of the plan I executed. People would be looking out for me - police, the school staff, even reporters. I never knew that too much attention could be good. This time, it would be. I just had to keep Annabeth - and maybe Nico, too - close to me and the organization wouldn't dare touch us.

Nico caught up to me first. The kid cornered me when I got out for lunch. I managed to evade Annabeth but not him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

I decided to play dumb even when I knew it was pointless. "Tell you what?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Come on, Percy," he said. "I thought I knew what was happening to you. I thought we were starting to become close, and that I was actually starting to learn things about you, but then this came out. Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie to me?"

He was angry, that much I could see. I was surprised by his outburst. I never knew he actually would take the news this way. "Why, would you have believed me if I did?" I asked him defensively.

He sighed. "I guess not," he said. "Look, I'm sorry for getting mad; I was just worried." I gave him a look, then went back to placing my stuff in my locker. "Why do you always react like that when other express that they care about you?"

I shook my head. "Because people don't care," I told him, closing my locker.

Students who still weren't at lunch were all gawking at me. They were whispering. "Hey, cut it out!" Nico told them. They kept on staring. "What, are you guys really that stupid?! Turn around!"

This kid could really be threatening if he wanted. Those who were still staring looked away. I found it hilarious that they were scared of a small kid. It was also a nice gesture, that even when I was always so rude, this kid still defended me. I found myself saying, "Thanks."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said, walking away.

I sighed in exasperation. "Hey, stop," I said, catching up to him. "I'm sorry if I'm also that way. I-I don't know how to deal with it, Nico. And she threatened to hurt me and my brother if I told someone," I lied. It wasn't really a lie; someone did threaten to hurt me and Tyson if I told someone about it - only said someone wasn't Mindy. "I just didn't want anyone getting caught in the middle." That wasn't a lie.

His expression softened. "That makes sense," he agreed. "I'm sorry if I was being a prick; I was just really worried when I heard about what happened. Then there were those women you mentioned and I couldn't help but wonder if they are doing the same thing to you." He looked at me. "Are they?"

"I can't tell you," I told him. He wanted to say something but I didn't let him. "Nico, I need you to just trust me - I can handle this, okay?"

"Like how you handled Mrs. Woods?" he challenged. I didn't reply. "Fine. But if you go to school with as much as a scratch, I'm calling the police, you understand?"

I decided to just play on. "Yeah."

"Good," he said, rummaging for something in his backpack. He came up with a white tube with Chinese inscriptions. "Here," he said, handing me the tube. "Apply some on your bruise."

"Okay."

We made our way to the cafeteria where it was buzzing with student chatters. I didn't have to listen to figure out what it is they were talking about. Nico and I went straight to their table, where his friends stopped talking, looking awkwardly at me.

Annabeth did try to get some answers out of me, but I didn't want to give her any. Not yet, anyway. Finally, I couldn't bear the uneasiness that spread across the table since my arrival, so I stood up, telling Annabeth and Nico to meet me by my car after school.

Because lunch hour wasn't done yet, I figured I could make another phone call. I made my way to the back end of the school, where the stoners hang out. They threw me curious glances that I just ignored. I hit speed dial on my phone and waited for an answer.

"Percy," Horace greeted from the other line. "Would you like to speak to your brother?"

"Yes, please."

There was silence for about a minute before an over-excited voice spoke. "Percy!"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Hey, Ty. How's my buddy?"

"Good!" he answered gleefully. "Tyson saw tanks with fishes! Lots of fishes. There are big ones and small ones and colorful ones. Lots and lots!"

I leaned closer to my phone and kicked the loose stones at my feet. "That's great, bud. Were you happy?"

It took a moment for him to answer. "No," he answered.

That took me some time to digest. He was obviously more than glad with his visit to the city's aquarium. Why was he saying he's not happy?

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because Percy is not there," he answered.

I closed my eyes and let the words hang in the air. My brother's brain doesn't develop the same way normal ones do, so how was it that his simplistic thinking always calmed me down? His simple view of the world around him let him see things that those who were well-rounded couldn't even appreciate.

"How I wish I was there," I told him. I really did wish that I was with him. Seeing my brother with his innocent eyes, big smiles and great hugs was always my break from my life. It was something that I always look forward to. "I'll make it up you, I promise."

"Really?" he asked, excitement very much evident in his voice. "Yay! We can go and shoot bad guys! And make things go boom! And eat peanut butter!"

"Of course, of course," I said, chuckling. "Although I think you'll be shooting me, too."

I could almost see the frown on his face by his tone. "Tyson won't shoot Percy."

"But I'm a bad guy," I told him. "I did something awful and because it, people might get hurt."

"Percy will protect them! Percy is good. He protects people. Percy will save them," he said confidently.

He had so much faith in me, even when he had seen what I had done and what I was capable of. He might have a disability but as far as I was concerned, there's not a single person who's smarter and more sensitive than my brother. How was it fair that he couldn't grow up with a complete and normal family?

"I just hope I can," I told him. "Do you think I can?"

"Yes!" he answered quickly. "Percy is strong! He can!"

A smile formed on my lips. "Thanks, buddy," I said. "I have to go now, but I will call you again first chance I get."

He was happy with that. "Yay! Bye, Percy. Tyson says bye!"

"I'll see you soon, buddy." I ended the call and went back inside the building to endure the rest of the day filled with fake sympathetic looks and empty encouraging words.

"You do know that the organization would want you to be punished for what you've done." Kronos' voice stopped the flashbacks, making me pause.

"I know," I agreed. "But you forced me to do it when Katrina Myers drugged me - which was a clear violation of our agreement. We both crossed the line, I think we can call it even."

"I think so, too," Kronos said. I didn't dare feel relieved. I sensed a _but _coming. "But the final decision isn't mine," he added. "You understand that I, too, take orders from someone higher, right? The person who introduced you to this profession."

"That I get," I told him. "If she's mad, tell her to take it out on me."

"How I wish it's that simple, Percy," said Kronos. "We follow our rules and in years that we are operating, no unjust deed went unpunished."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "_Unjust?_ Do you even understand what you're saying? You sell sex and you talk about _unjust_ deeds? Are you fucking with me?"

"Percy, everyone in the organization joined by their own choice," Kronos argued. "Once we're in, we agreed to abide by the rules set by the founders and that's something that kept us together. Now what you did clearly violated those rules, but I can tell Gaea that it was just a side-effect of the drug you were injected with."

"Good luck getting that through her thick head," I muttered.

"You can always lend a hand in persuading her," Kronos said meaningfully.

I groaned inwardly. I'd dealt with customers sane people would call wild, but Gaea made them look like tamed, timid woman with her sexual practices. The first time that we were together, I lost something valuable.

"I'll pass," I answered.

"I'm not gonna try to convince you, Percy. Just know that I'll do everything in my power to divert the attention from you."

"Whatever," I said, ending the call.

I picked up my backpack and headed out to my car. Friday. I was looking forward to the weekend, not because of teenagers' normal reasons of being out of school for two days to party, but because I was planning to visit my brother on Saturday. I didn't have any scheduled appointment so I figured I'd better spend my time with Tyson.

Annabeth's iPod was still plugged to my audio system. Because I was running a bit late and didn't want to spend five minutes looking for a radio station playing decent music, I just turned it on and hit play. The song Annabeth wanted me to listen to yesterday starting playing and I drove off.

It must've slipped my mind that _the song_ was playing. Before I knew it, memories flooded in my mind.

_I walked into the apartment I was residing in, surprised by the smell of cooked food that wafted through my kitchen. I took a peak and saw her busy preparing. I leaned against the counter and watched her; her dark hair falling in across her neck, tied in a messy ponytail. _

_She turned around and gave a start when she saw me. "Perce!" she exclaimed. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"_

_I smiled at her. "I'm sorry. It was fun to watch you. What's the occasion?"_

_She shrugged. "Nothing. I just wanted to cook for you. Now get your butt here and give me a hug," she commanded._

_I pretended to grimace. "Ew. I was at the gym. I'm sweaty. That's gross."_

_"I don't care," she said, coming up to me and wrapping her arms around my neck. "I find it sexy."_

_I shook my head and placed a kiss on her forehead, entangling myself from her. Not that I didn't like the physical interaction - in fact I _needed_ it - I was just trying to limit it. I sat down on the table."What's this?" I asked her._

_She gave another shrug. "Pasta?" she asked uncertainly. "I don't know. I just saw the ingredients in your fridge and decided to mix up everything. Will you try it?"_

_"Of course I will."_

_I was about to dig in but she stopped me. "Before you eat, there's something I want you to hear." She grabbed her phone and started looking for something. "I just downloaded this amazing album and there's this one song I want you to hear."_

_Music started to play. As soon as the first word was sung, I knew I was a goner. That woman who knew my secret overlooked it and saw whatever it was she saw that convinced her I wasn't lost._

How long has it been since you felt anything but shame?

Child, lift up your eyes 'cause mercy remembers your name.

And those tears you've been holding back, let 'em fall like rain.

_There was a sudden burst of emotion that surged through me. Suddenly, Tyson wasn't the only thing that defined love in my life. She became life and love._

The healing has begun.

_"Please don't be mad," she said. "I just really want you to hear what I've been thinking in a different way."_

_I extended my arm. "Come here," I said softly. She went to me and leaned against my damp chest. "You, Reyna Arellano, are one phenomenal woman."_

_She smiled. "Now, give this phenomenal woman a kiss."_

_I leaned back. "Rey, you don't want to kiss me. Countless women have kissed these lips."_

_"I don't care," she told me. "They might have you for a night but as long as this is mine," she said, pointing to where my heart should be, "I'm okay."_

_"And it shall be yours," I said, pressing my lips against her._

My knuckles were turning white against my steering wheel and my right foot was stiff as I stepped on the brake. The memories of her were so vivid that it felt like she was just beside me, offering a comforting hand like the way she used to.

But she was not. Our time together was over.

I looked up with a blurry vision, only to see familiar blonde curls and backpack that belonged to someone I knew walking away furiously. I checked beside me and saw that I was in front of Annabeth's house.

Not wanting to raise suspicion, I stepped on the gas and followed Annabeth. She didn't look like she had any plans to stop so I did the only thing I could think of: I hit the brake and stopped my car in front of her. For a while she looked scared but then seemed recognize it was me. I waited for her to get in, instead she went around to keep on walking.

I killed the engine and got out. "Annabeth," I called. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Going to school," she said, looking away from me.

"I thought I made it clear that I'm driving you to and from school?" I asked.

"I'm really not in the mood to be alone with anyone right now, Percy," she said stubbornly.

"You're not gonna be alone with me; we're on our way to pick Nico up." No response. "Annabeth, I don't think you understand what - " I stopped when I saw her face. Her eyes her red and there were tears running down her cheeks. "Why are you crying?" I demanded. Even I were surprised with the protectiveness I felt. "Did someone hurt you?" I asked as a held her arm, looking for any signs of injury.

He pushed me off of her. "Don't be ridiculous, Percy. Nobody did."

"Then why are you crying?" I asked.

She glared at me. Instead of responding, she went and climbed into my car. I found myself shaking my head as I went after her.

When I was driving again, I looked at her. "What happened?" I asked.

Annabeth didn't answer right away. She just kept on looking ahead as she angrily wiped the tears on her cheeks. "Dad," she answered simply. "He's very disgraced by his bad luck of a daughter."

I wasn't anywhere near good in comforting people so I didn't dare try. I just turned up the volume of my sound system.

Annabeth looked at me. "You're listening to it," she stated.

"There's this annoying girl who bugged me to," I told her. A hint of a smile played on her lips. I don't know why I said what I said, I just let myself talk. "For the record, any parent who thinks it's bad luck to have you as a daughter obviously doesn't know what perfect means."

I could see that she was looking at me even when I was looking straight ahead. "Thanks," she said softly. "I just don't know what to do with him anymore. Everything that I do has to be perfect. I'm not even allowed to make mistakes."

Now I regret what I said because I didn't know how to follow-up with it. I knew that I couldn't just stay quiet, but at the same time, I also didn't know what to say. So I turned off my player and played a song in my phone.

"You're not the only one who listen to him," I said, referring to the artist of the song Annabeth made me listen to. "He has an album after the one you mentioned."

_They make you feel like you're worthless,_

_Do you believe that it's true?_

_I look at you and I see priceless._

Annabeth was quiet for a moment, long enough for us to arrive at Nico's. I expected him to be already waiting but he wasn't. I knew that he hadn't left yet because there was a beat-up Ford parked up front. I honked my horn and Nico's head appeared on the doorway, toothbrush in his mouth. He held up five fingers before going back in.

"Do you mean it?" Annabeth asked.

"Mean what?"

"The song," she said. "Do you mean it when you played it?"

I considered my answer before speaking. "Not me, no," I admitted. "But I think there's someone out there who will sing you this song and mean every word of it."

Annabeth shook her head. "You suck."

I flashed her a smile. "I try, Annabeth, I try."

Nico appeared from his house, wiping his mouth with the back of his hands. He got in, grinning hugely. "Hey, guys."

"Hi, Nico," Annabeth answered flatly.

"What happened to you?" he asked her.

"Do you really have to ask?" she retorted sarcastically.

I found myself shaking my head. "Annabeth, I get that you're upset because your Dad doesn't seem to appreciate you but moping isn't gonna make you feel better," I said as I threw my car to the left, bringing us to the road that would lead us to our school. "If he can't see what you can do, then stop pleasing him. I've learned long ago that there are people who choose to see the worst in others just because they'd been hurt. You have to find something else to live for, to dream for."

"You speak like you've been there," Annabeth deduced. "Have you?"

For four years I'd kept my secret. Every single thing that happened to me, I kept to myself. There was only one person who knew about everything, but with those two, I felt some type of force that urged me to keep on talking, maybe because I really wasn't sharing my entire secret.

"Lift my shirt up," I commanded her.

Annabeth blinked at me. "Um, what?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nico, do it."

Nico was hesitant but he leaned forward and lifted the edge of my shirt, exposing my torso. "Now what?" he asked.

"See that scar below my ribcage?" I asked Annabeth. She nodded. "I got that when I was twelve. Tyson was showing our foster father a picture he drew, saying it was a good one. He didn't acknowledge him and Tyson cried. Gabe wasn't very patient with him and he ended up punching Tyson in the face. I got mad and I answered back to him. Gabe didn't appreciate it so he stabbed me. It was just a butter knife, though, so it didn't go very deep."

They both looked at me in silence. Nico lowered down my shirt and sat back, looking out the window. Annabeth was staring at me, her eyes trained on my face. "After that we had an arrangement: he would not hit Tyson if I let him hit me. I agreed. I was able to find a way to turn his anger to my advantage."

"I-I don't see how that's an advantage," she said.

"He stopped hurting my brother; I call that a win," I said simply. By this point, I was already pulling into the parking lot. "What I'm trying to say is don't take shit from anybody. Find a way to turn their anger to your strength. Show your father what exactly he's missing out on."

I killed the engine of my car and got out. Annabeth and Nico followed as I made my way inside the school, both of them quiet.

"I don't really see how that can affect me," she admitted, stopping in front of her locker.

"Don't worry; I don't, either," I told her.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and opened her locker. It all happened so fast that I barely had time to see everything, but being involved with Kronos' organization had sharpen my senses. A glint caught my eyes as a trip wire was pulled when Annabeth opened her door. There was a click and a squishing sound.

I didn't have time to think; I just dove in front of her, knocking her out of the way, just in time as something inside exploded.

_**A/N:**__Huh._

_Songs in this chapter: The Healing Has Begun and Unchangeable, both by Matthew West._

**[Next - Chapter 8: NOBODY KNOWS THE TROUBLE I'VE BEEN]**


	8. Chapter 8: Nobody Knows the Trouble

_**A/N: **__Hi, guys. Happy holidays! :D_

**_ADayWithNoLaughterIsADayWasted:_** _That dude is just amazing. What's your favorite song by him? :D_

**_AncientTide:_**_ That is answered in this chapter. :D_

**_ Mr Invincible:_**_ I guess if find it easier to write Reyna, and (I'm biased here) I prefer her than Rachel or Calypso. Especially after The Blood of Olympus, Reyna had kind of grown on me. She's such a strong character and I wish that she could have her own story, but because we I can't have that, I just write her. :D_

**_AliceTonksHPJ:_** _Oh. That. I was curious, which is why I asked. And, uh, what accent? Haha! Thank you for letting me know. :D_

**_Jessica Jasso:_** _Not very soon. Sorry for that. What I'm trying to do is have some parallelism. Reyna's story (past) will progress the same time as Annabeth's (present). So I guess that wo0n't be revealed until mid-story, I guess? Anyway, thank you for always leaving a review! :D_

**_percabethluva639:_** _Yeah. We're starting to see Percy's other side. Stay tuned for more (and a little bit in this chapter) :D_

**_Captain-Sherlock-Who:_**_ Well, here it is. :D_

_DON'T JUST READ, LEAVE A REVIEW!_

**DEMONS**

Chapter 8: NOBODY KNOWS THE TROUBLE I'VE BEEN

**ANNABETH**

My arm was throbbing.

I had landed on it quite heavily, smashing my elbow against the hard floor. I was stunned at first, uncertain of what really happened. One second I was about to get my book and the second, a heavy weight crashed into me. There was an unexplainable sound and a loud pop, indicating that something had exploded inside my locker.

I looked up and saw Nico standing at the side, looking shocked at the sudden turn of events. There was a thick liquid dripping from inside my locker, leaving dark red spots on the wall. I searched for the source and my heart skipped a bit.

It was from Percy.

He was standing quietly, blood dripping from his face. I got over my initial shock and stood up to check on him.

"Percy!" I exclaimed. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Where are you hit? Talk to me! Tell me!"

"It's not my blood," he finally spoke. "It's an animal's blood, I think." Rage then became apparent on his face. He turned to address the students around us. "Who did this?!" he yelled. "Huh?! Who did this?!"

People started to back away, scared. Even Nico took a step backwards. I placed a hand on his arm. "Percy -"

He brushed it off. "When I find out who did this, I swear I'm gonna make you pay." He then looked at me and I nearly cringed at the fire of anger dancing in his eyes. "Are you hurt?" he demanded.

"What?"

"Are you hurt, Annabeth?" he repeated, grabbing my face between his hands, leaving bloody prints on my cheeks. When I didn't answer, he started to pat me down. "If you are, I will run over who's responsible for this with my car."

"I-I'm fine," I told him, rubbing my arm. "Just a little shaken."

Percy turned to my locker. "Is anything here important?" he asked, referring to my stuff inside.

I shook my head. "Just my book," I told him. "Percy -"

"I need to file a report to make sure this doesn't happen again."

"I can do that but - "

"In the meantime you can share my locker," he continued. "I don't really use it that much - "

"You don't - "

"I'll tell you my combination later - "

"Percy!" I said, my voice rising. He stared at me, only realizing that he was rambling. "I know, okay? Don't worry about me; I can handle this. In the meantime, let's get you cleaned up." I took his hand and dragged him to the men's room.

First period had already started so no one was there. We were both going to be late but because I knew word of what happened had already gotten around, it wouldn't matter. Besides, it was Mr. Blofis. He would be more concerned about us being hurt than being late.

I took some paper towels from the dispenser and wet it with tap water then started to clean the blood off of Percy's face. He wouldn't meet my eyes but I knew from his heavy breathing that he was still very much angry about what happened.

"You shouldn't have pushed me out of the way," I said, finding the silence uncomfortable. "I could've - "

"Don't be ridiculous, Annabeth," he said in a low voice. "If I hadn't, you would've been hit."

"I can take blood on my face," I said, grabbing more paper towels.

"It wasn't just blood," he said quietly.

My hand, which was wiping the crimson colored liquid on his jaw, paused. "What do you mean it wasn't just blood?"

I could feel him gritting his teeth. "Left eyebrow," he said simply.

At first I couldn't really see anything but the blood, but on closer look, I saw that there was a shard of glass embedded on the skin beside his left eyebrow. "Oh, my God!" I exclaimed, unsure whether I should pull it out or what. "What should I do? Should I remove it?"

Percy rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"

I grabbed my bag, hoping that I hadn't returned what I was looking for to Piper. I spotted it under my notes and took it. Percy gave me an incredulous look. "Shut up," I told him. With shaking fingers, I squeezed the end, trapping the shard of glass between the clamps. Percy winced. "I'm sorry," I whispered, then before he could say anything, I pulled it out.

A dribble of blood came out to add to the mess on his face. "Ow," he grimaced a second too late.

Then I went back to cleaning his face. Percy helped me, cleaning his neck and ears. "You know you can go now," he said quietly.

"Don't be ridiculous," I told him. "I think it's better if you remove your shirt now." He smirked at me. "It's nothing I haven't seen before, you ass. Besides, we can clean you faster that way."

He tugged on the edge of his shirt, pulling it over his head. I diverted my gaze to avoid looking at his torso, which was pointless, because Percy took it to himself to clean his face, leaving me his chest and abdomen. I was about to start wiping when he stopped me. "I can do that," he said. I looked at him. "No need to make this situation more awkward than it already is."

"Percy, let me help," I insisted. "You took the hit for me; the least I can do is help."

"You can do that by going to class and telling Mr. Blofis that I won't be able to attend first period," he said. "Go now, before somebody sees us and we'll be in bigger trouble than we already are."

I nodded, handing him the paper towels. "Just make sure to clean the wound, okay?"

He gave a slight nod. I was on my way to the door when his voice stopped me. "Annabeth," he called. I turned to look at him. "Be careful." His voice was so quiet I had to debate for some time if I heard him right. "I'll see you at lunch."

The class went quiet when I stepped in the room. "I'm sorry for being late, Mr. Blofis," I said as I made my way to my seat, avoiding anyone's eyes.

My English professor just nodded. "Where is Mr. Jackson?" he asked.

"He's getting cleaned up," I answered. "He also needs to file a report so he might not be able join first period," I added.

Again, he nodded before going on with the lesson.

Needless to say, I wasn't able yo concentrate on it. My mind kept on wandering to what happened. Who did it? I wondered if this had anything to do with that text message I received days ago warning me to stay away from Percy. I had been so sure that it was from someone in school who was heavily infatuated with him, but now I wasn't sure. If it was, and that someone did this, it was taking things a little too far. Basing on Percy's reaction, though, I knew that text message meant something. Was that from Mrs. Woods? It would make sense. If by that point she had a physical relationship with him and she saw us talking, she could've sent the message. She also could've had someone plant that explosive in my locker as a form of retribution.

_I'm a dangerous person_, Percy had said over and over again. Could this be what he meant, because he was involved with crazy people? If it was, then he was in need of help more that I thought so.

Lunch hour came and I was surprised that Percy was already at our table, having a conversation with Nico. Thalia, Piper and Jason were missing. Now that I think about it, I hadn't seen them all morning.

"Are you sure nothing happened?" Percy was asking Nico.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Nico answered. "Percy, I don't think it's who you think it is that did that. I think it's just one of your fans obsessed with you."

Percy shook his head and didn't answer. I sat down beside him. "Where are the others?" I asked.

"They ditched," Frank answered.

"Jason ditched?" I asked "That's new."

"They are meeting meeting their Dad," Hazel shared. "I mean, Thalia's and Jason's; he just took Piper with him."

"Oh."

"We heard what happened," Calypso said. "Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Good thing Percy knocked me out of the way." I looked at him, seeing that he had Band-Aid on his left eyebrow. "You okay?" I asked.

He gave a slight nod. "I've filed a report," he shared. "They will make sure that it's not gonna happen again. In the meantime, you will be sharing a locker with me."

"Okay," I said.

"I'm driving you home," he said. "This time, don't leave and try to walk, you hear me?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Hear," I answered simply.

"Hey," Calypso interjected. "Sorry to interrupt, guys, but it's Friday and Thalia texted us earlier to ask if we could hang out tonight. You know she hates it when her mother makes them spend time with their Dad, so she wants us to have a sleepover." She looked at Nico. "She wanted me to ask you if we can do it at your house."

Nico grinned. "Cool. I'm in." He seemed to realize something. "Of course I'm in; it's my house."

She turned to me. "You, Annabeth?"

I shrugged. After my argument with Dad, I doubt he would let me have a night out with my friends. "I'm not sure," I told her.

"Percy?" she asked hesitantly.

He gave a polite smile. "I'll have to pass on the invite," he answered. "I have to be somewhere."

"What? Where?" I asked.

"I'm visiting Tyson tonight," he told me.

Tyson. That meant his older brother. "Oh," I said. "You don't talk much about him. What's he like?"

"I don't really like to talk about him to other people," he said carefully. "People just don't understand his condition."

I don't even know why I felt myself blushing. "I-I."

"It's fine," he said. "I'm sorry for raising my voice." He started to gather his things and stood up. "I need to go. Meet me at my car after school."

"Nico is going with the others," I told Percy once we were in his car. "They are going to the grocery to get some snacks for the sleepover. It's just you and me."

"I guess nothing can really happen while he's with your friends," he said.

When we were at the road, I decided to ask him the question that's been in my head. "Percy?" I called. He looked at me. "Can I ask you something?" He didn't answer but just kept on looking at me. "Can we pass by a fast food? I'm starving." Percy stared at me for a full minute before bursting into laughter. "What? I wasn't able to eat lunch," I said defensively.

"Jeez, Annabeth, I thought you were going to ask me something very serious," he laughed.

I glared at him as he took a left to the nearest McDonald's. "Don't worry; I'll come up with something."

He turned serious. "I really wish you wouldn't."

Percy chose a parking spot and we got out to look for a seat. When we find one, he gave me a look. "What do you want to get?" he asked.

"Some nuggets and fries," I told him. He kept on looking. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, smiling. "It's just refreshing to see a teenage girl who doesn't care about her weight or how she looks too much." He tossed his phone on top of the table and stood up. "Not that you need to, of course," he added before walking away.

"Hey!" I called out.

"What?" he asked.

"You forgot my money," I answered.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Annabeth, don't be ridiculous - I'm paying for it." He didn't give me a chance to protest; he went on to take our orders.

I sat back and watched as he spoke to the cashier. I was really debating whether I should go up there to pay for my food or if it would be a childish move, when his phone chimed. I wasn't really a snoop but his phone was facing me. There was a new message. But that wasn't what caught my attention.

It was Percy's wallpaper.

It was a picture of a dark-haired girl with dark eyes and caramel skin. She had her arms around Percy's neck, her lips glued to his cheek. He was grinning to the camera, obviously very happy.

There was a heavy feeling in my chest that I didn't really understand. Or didn't I? Did I actually know what it was that I felt, only I was refusing to acknowledge it? Why would I deny myself of the truth? Because I didn't want to be one of those girls who fall on love in a wink? My connection with Percy wasn't like that, was it? We'd been friends since we were four, and I considered that we stayed that way even when we were apart. Was it possible that the true reason why I care so much about him was because . . . was because . . .

My train of thoughts was interrupted when Percy came back with our order. He handed me mine and started to eat his double cheeseburger. I, on the other hand, found myself without appetite.

I could feel Percy eyeing me. "I thought you said you're starving," he said after swallowing. I shrugged, dipping a nugget to my sauce and nibbling on the end. "Are you okay?" he asked. I didn't answer. "Annabeth, if this is about what happened earlier, I can assure you that I'm not gonna let it happen again."

I looked at him. "I know that," I said. "It's not about what happened."

"Then what is it?" he asked

For obvious reason, I found myself blushing. I felt guilty that I looked at his phone without his permission. It wasn't really my fault, though. "Percy," I said after a while of silence. "Who is the girl on your phone?" I asked.

He looked at me, then to his phone, understanding crossing his feature. He took his phone and put it back into his pocket. "No one," he answered, which lead me to believing that she was _someone._ "You shouldn't look into other people's properties - it's rude."

"It's not like I did it on purpose," I argued. "Your phone was there and someone sent a text message. It lit up and I saw your wallpaper."

"Still, you shouldn't have looked at it," he bit back.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to," I apologized. He didn't answer but went back to eating his burger. And because curiosity was one thing that I couldn't really control, I blurt out, "Does she know about what happened?"

Percy gave me another look, obviously debating whether to answer my question or not. He then sighed and said, "No, she doesn't."

"You didn't tell her," I concluded. "I guess I understand why. Have you talked to her at least? Won't she notice that something's up?"

"Annabeth," he said abruptly. "There's no way for me to contact her. And even if I do, I won't tell her anything."

"I get that," I answered. "I was just wondering why I haven't met your girlfriend."

"That would be impossible," he said. "We no longer have communication."

He was sad, that much I could see even when he was looking down. I don't see it always with young people, given that such emotion is very hard to understand, but I recognize it when I see it. It was clear with how Percy reacted how he felt about the girl in the picture. "You love her," I stated.

Percy shook his head. "I care about her deeply," he said. "I always wanted to make her smile, to make sure that I'm good enough for her, but love? That I'm not sure. I mean, I'm seventeen years old, how am I supposed to know any of this yet?" He paused. "I do know that what I felt for her was strong, that she was someone special to my heart but I can't say that I loved or love her."

I gave a slight nod, choosing not to answer. This time, it was his turn to watch me closely. I diverted my gaze away, unable to meet his eyes. I was scared that he would see whatever emotion was building in mine.

Percy cleared his throat. "Annabeth," he called. I didn't look at him. "Annabeth," he called again.

This time, I took the risk and looked up. "What?"

"I don't want to be a prick but I guess it's better that we talk about it now and address this before it's too late," he said in a careful voice.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him.

He looked me in the eyes, preventing me from turning away. "You can't feel that way about me, " he whispered.

So he knew, even when I was denying it myself. Was I that obvious? Or was Percy just reading into things? What things, anyway? I knew how I felt about him and I didn't need anyone to tell me that.

However, hearing it coming from Percy, and the implications in his tone made me angry. The hidden messages in his voice - that I wasn't good enough for him, that there's no way that he would reciprocate my feelings - sent tears into my eyes. I blinked them away, unwilling to let him see me cry.

"You're a jerk," I said, standing up and rushing to the exit. I wiped the tears that were streaming down my face in anger.

"Annabeth!" I heard him call behind me. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"Home, jackass!" I yelled back. I was too angry that I didn't notice the stoplight was green. I was about to cross the street when wind rushed to my face, accompanied by loud car horns blaring. I heard lots of yelling before someone yanked me back to the pavement. Said someone stumbled, bringing our weight crashing to the side of the road.

I didn't even realize that my eyes were closed until I opened them again and saw Percy's sea green eyes filled with anger looking at me. "What the hell were you thinking, Annabeth?!" he demanded. "You almost got hit by a car!"

Of all the things I could've noticed, it was our position. Percy was on his back while I was lying facedown on top of him, my legs between his. I stood up quickly, lending him a hand.

The driver of the car who almost hit me screamed angrily. "If you plan on dying, girl, do not get me involved!"

I found myself out of words. "I-I"

"It's all my faut, sir, and I'm sorry," Percy said, coming up from behind me. "She got upset with me and she ran. This is on me." He fished something from his pocket and handed it to the man. "If something needs fixing, please give me a call. Right now I need to take her home."

He grabbed my arm and dragged me back to his car. "Hey, let me go!" I screamed at him. "I'd rather walk home!"

"Don't be silly, Annabeth," he said, opening the door of his car and shoving me inside. I landed on the seat with an indignant "Hey!" Percy circled the car and got in, starting the engine even before I had the chance to get out.

"Look, don't be upset with what I said," Percy told me, breaking the silence. "You might not fully understand why I'm asking you this - and you might not ever find out why - but just trust me when I say that it's for the best."

"Whatever, Percy," I said, still angry. At that point, though, I wasn't sure if I was mad at him or I was mad at myself. I should've read the signs more clearly. I should've known that there was no way he felt the same way.

Percy gave a sigh. "I'd rather have you hating me than you getting hurt," he said quietly.

I looked at him, asking. "What do you mean?" He shook his head, clearly indicating that he wasn't going to elaborate with what he said. "Fine, don't say anything but I'm still mad at you."

He just shrugged and kept on driving.

As soon as our house came into the view, I knew I was in trouble. My father was sitting on our porch, clearly waiting for me. I wanted to tell Percy that he could just drop me a few houses away, but it was no use. I had no idea how, but he seemed to sense that I was inside the car.

Percy stopped the car right in front of our house. He got out to open the door for me before I could warn him that he should just leave.

I got out. "You should've left," I whispered to Percy.

"Your father saw us," he said. "Leaving would've been disrespectful."

"He'll show you disrespectful," I told him.

Dad looked mad, but his expression toned down when he saw who I was with, only to be replaced with disbelief. He quickly covered it up but not before I saw it.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Chase," Percy greeted, completely polite. "I'm Percy Jackson, a schoolmate of your daughter's."

Dad ignored his extended hand and turned to me. "Your boyfriend?" he asked.

I wanted to roll my eyes. I was about to answer but Percy beat me to it. "No, sir. I'm not her boyfriend, and I'm also not courting your daughter. I merely offered her a ride because the bus passing this way had broken down."

_Great,_ I thought. _You owe your crush one._

Dad nodded but didn't speak. Not wanting to go through the awkward silence, I asked, "Would you like to come inside?"

"I don't think -" Percy said at the same time Dad said "That's not -"

I didn't let them finish as I grabbed Percy's hand and dragged him inside. I don't know why I did. Maybe because I wanted to avoid another argument with my Dad.

I had Percy sit down on our couch while Dad took the one adjacent to it. I chose the one beside Percy. He looked uneasy, but was trying to hide it. Every time his and Dad's eyes met, he would give him a small smile.

My father leaned forward. "So Percy," he began. "That was a rather nice car you have there."

Percy nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"How is it that a young man such as yourself come to acquire a very expensive vehicle?" he inquired.

I gave him a look. "Dad!" I whisper-shouted. Then I turned to Percy. "You don't have to answer that."

He gave another polite smile. "It's fine," he said. "I didn't buy it for myself, sir; it was a gift."

That got my attention. "A gift?" I asked. "Who would give an expensive car as a gift?"

Percy shrugged, choosing not to answer. "I heard that you live alone," Dad said. "How is that? You're underage; you should be in foster care."

"Dad!" I scolded. "That's an extremely personal question."

"Oh, come on, Annabeth. Surely you also want to ask the same question," he told me.

I couldn't answer. I did want to ask those questions but whenever I was with Percy, I felt like I was stepping on eggshells.

"A family friend is listed as my and my brother's legal guardian," Percy answered. "Since I was four, Tyson and I were in foster care but Mr. Horace Brunner, friend of my father's came back from Iraq, had petitioned to be our guardian. I don't know how, but he was granted our custody. Technically, Tyson could've been my guardian, being an adult and all, but because of his condition, Mr. Brunner took that role." Percy leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "I can give you his address and phone number if you wish to, Mr. Chase."

Dad looked shocked with Percy's answer. The way he phrased it was still respectful, but there was an underlying tone that dared my father to challenge his claims.

"May I please speak with my daughter, alone, for a minute?" he asked Percy.

"I don't mind, sir," he said.

Dad stood up and I followed him to the kitchen. "I want you to stay away from that boy," he said in a quiet voice. "He's nothing but trouble."

I shook my head. "We've been over this, Dad; I'm not staying away from Percy."

"Annabeth, I'm your father," he answered. "I get a say in who you befriend and interact with and I'm telling you that he's up to no good; he'll just get you in danger."

"You don't even know him, Dad!"

"You think I don't know what people say about him? The reason why he can support himself is because he's involved in some type of a gang that sells drugs."

"That's not true!" I insisted. "Dad, he's just misunderstood. People think that they know him. Sure, on the surface he might appear as troubled but that's because no one dares to dig enough." At this point, I was no longer yelling. I was, in fact, pleading. I knew my father. If he wanted to, he could keep me away from my friend. "He's seventeen years-old and he's been through so much. Don't you think that it merits him at least a little bit of sympathy?"

"He's beyond help," Dad said. "And now he has influenced you and had turned you into the worst possible version of yourself. You have become disrespectful - answering back to your father! He's fucked up and he's turning you into one, too!"

He could've slapped me. I would've taken that better. The physical pain would've faded faster than getting slammed in my chest repeatedly. I couldn't answer. I just felt tears running down my cheeks.

I love my father and answering back to him was one thing I didn't really want to do. I respect him, look up to him, but I thought that I need to give him a piece of my mind from time to time.

I opened my mouth to answer but someone clearing his throat behind me made me turn. Percy was there, and based on the expression on his face, he heard everything. Of course he heard everything; my Dad and I weren't exactly talking in hushed voices.

"Percy . . . "

"It's fine, Annabeth," he told me before turning to my Dad. "I just came here to say that I'm leaving. I can tell when I'm not welcome but I didn't really want to leave without saying this: Mr. Chase, I can accept everything you said about me but what you said about your daughter? You couldn't be more wrong." He turned back to me. "Thank you for having me."

Percy was on his way to the door when I ran after him. I grabbed his hand, stopping him. "I'm so sorry, Percy. I'm so sorry that you have to go through this because of me but please, please, don't leave me." I don't like how needy I sounded, but right then I didn't care. "I need you."

Percy sighed. He took back his arm and opened the door. "I'll be in the car," he said, closing the door behind him.

I went back to our kitchen, facing my seething father once again. "Dad," I said in a low voice. "I'm sorry if I answered back and if for you I've been disrespectful; please know that it was never my intention. I just . . . I just wanted to let you know what's been going on with me because you seem to never find the time to ask me yourself." I paused to take a breath and wiped the tears from my face. "Let me just tell you something about Percy. When he was one, his father disappeared. 48 hours after a missing person report had been filed; his mother received a box containing her husband's severed hand. Then when he was four, his mother was murdered in front of him, and he almost died, too. He has the scars to remind himself of what happened every day, so I guess he has a right to be screwed up. And because this world is a place where judgments come first before the truth, no one stands up for him. If that is the case, then I will."

I took the risk and took my father's hand. "He's someone important to me, Dad and if there's one thing I know I got from you, it's fighting for the things, for the people, that matter to me and that's what I'm doing. You can try but I'm not giving up on Percy."

With that, I let his hand go and went out. Percy's Maserati was still parked in front of our house. I got into the passenger's side quietly, shielding my face away from him.

"I'm sorry that has to happen because of me," he said quietly.

"It's not you," I answered in a shaky voice. "Look, I'm sorry I asked you to stay but I can't really be here. Is there somewhere we can go?"

Percy considered this for a moment before asking, "How do you feel about meeting my brother?"

**[Next - Chapter 9: THE OTHER SIDE]**


	9. Chapter 9: The Other Side

_**A/N: **__Happy new year! How's everyone's holiday so far? :D_

**_Captain-Sherlock-Who:_**_ I'm glad you like it. And thank you for always leaving a review every chapter. :D_

**_callingallthefandoms:_**_ Thank you. I'm glad you liked my other stories, too. Take care. :D_

**_ADayWithNoLaughterIsADayWasted:_** _I like those songs, too, but my favorites are The Healing Has Begun, Family Tree and Broken Girl. :D_

**_DareRelaqz:_**_ Thanks!_

**_Sosebo:_**_ Thank you for giving this story a shot. :D_

**_Warning:_**_ Mild sexual content._

_DON'T JUST READ, LEAVE A REVIEW!_

**DEMONS**

Chapter 9: THE OTHER SIDE

**PERCY**

"Percy!" Tyson yelled gleefully, tackling me with a bear hug that crushed the breath out of me.

"Ow," I groaned from his force. "Watch the ribs, big guy. The ribs."

He stepped away from me, still grinning. "We'll eat peanut butter?" he asked, his eyes wide in excitement. "And shoot bad guys? And make things go POOF?"

I chuckled as I tapped his shoulder. "Sure, sure." I looked behind him. "Where's Horace?" I asked.

"Baking," Tyson grinned at me. "Eep! Cookies!" he said, running back inside.

I could feel a smile on my lips as I shook my head. Then I remembered I had company. I looked beside me to see Annabeth grinning. "Sorry," I apologized. "I see him once a week but he always gets excited whenever I come."

"I don't mind," she said. "You adore him."

I shook my head. "I love him, Annabeth. He's the only one I have."

I stepped inside the house, the smell of baking pastry greeting me. I lead Annabeth to the living room and made her sit on one of the couches while I took the one beside her. She looked around as though scrutinizing even the tiniest detail of Horace's house. While she checked everything, I was staring at her.

It was no secret that Annabeth Chase was freaking gorgeous. Honestly, I can't see how she didn't have a line of suitors pining after her. Her blonde hair rained down her shoulders in curls; her face took this different look of concentration that was somehow both intimidating and beautiful; her long tanned legs stretched out in front of her. She had an athletic build, not the stereotypical straight-A student. Her eyes - gray and intense like a building storm - narrowed as she inspected everything around us. She didn't wear any make-up - which was a plus - maybe a little bit of lip gloss that made her lips look that much kissable.

_Wait, what am I thinking?_

I could remember the look of hurt that crossed her face when I told her she couldn't feel what I thought she felt about me. Tears suddenly sprang from her eyes and next thing I knew, she was rushing outside in anger.

I wanted to get mad at her. Why did she have to make it harder that it already was? She should've been thankful that I didn't take advantage of her feelings and played with her. She should've understood why I had to say what I had to say because it was for her own good. I wanted to get mad at her, but then I realized I wasn't angry at her; I was angry at myself.

I should've just stayed away from her. If only I had the strength, I wouldn't be in this mess right now.

"Annabeth," I said. She looked at me, eyebrows raised. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "You mean my father?" she asked. I nodded. "I'm used to it," she answered. "Or at least I want to think that I am. He's always been like that to me no matter what, anyway. I just don't like it when he judges my friends." She paused, looking at me as though deciding whether she should continue. "I do think that when it comes to Thalia and Nico and the others, he doesn't really mean what he says but earlier with you . . . I don't know. There's something there. The only time that he actually says something about my friends is when he's unhappy with _me._ When we had that talk, it was like he's unhappy with _you,_ which is ridiculous because he doesn't know you."

"He doesn't need to," I told her. "No father in his right state of mind would let his daughter be friends with me."

"Percy, don't listen to my Dad," she said. "He obviously don't know what he's talking about. She sighed, leaning back and crossing her ankles. "You know, I've always wanted him to be involved in my life but when he gets like this, I just wish he wouldn't."

"Because of his prejudices," I pointed.

"I just wish he wouldn't try when he's like that."

"No." Annabeth gave me a questioning look. "I mean, at least you can see he cares about you. You can see his effort. It would be worse if he doesn't try at all." She didn't answer but just kept on looking at me. I heaved a sigh. "Still, I think you should listen to him and stay away from me."

Annabeth shook her head. "I was thinking that I shouldn't repeat what I told my father because you heard all of it."

_He's just misunderstood,_ she told her father.

"And even when you were there when I said it, I will say it one more time," Annabeth said, looking directly into my eyes. "I'm not going to give up on you, Percy."

"Not going to give up on me in what way exactly, Annabeth?" I challenged her. What else was there to say, anyway? That deep inside I was longing for someone to say those words to me? That of all the people in the world, I knew Annabeth was the only one who held some sort of power over me? "You want to make me feel like I want to be a better person?"

Annabeth shook her head. "No, I don't," she said. "But I'd like to remind you that you're a good person all along."

It started to frustrate me. "Why?"

Annabeth looked at me. "Do you really want me to answer that question, Percy?"

I sighed. "Annabeth, look - "

"Let's not talk about it right now," she suggested. "Just focus on your brother and we can deal with our issues later."

_Our _issues, she said. I wanted to tell her off, that it was only _her _issue, but I must've known deep inside me that it did concern me. I dragged Annabeth into this mess and . . .

_And what the fuck is that hollow feeling in my chest?_

It was a good thing that my brother chose that moment to enter the living room. "Percy!" he yodeled, giving me a hug again as though he didn't see me a few minutes ago. "Tyson helped!" he said excitedly, showing me his hands which were covered in flour.

Horace came after him in his wheelchair. He's the same as I remembered: trimmed beard, closely-cropped brown hair and wrinkles around his eyes. A blanket was spread over his lap.

He gave me a kind smile. "Percy," he greeted. "How are you?"

I stood up and shook his hand. "Horace," I greeted back. "I'm doing good. You?"

"Great," he answered. "My business has been keeping me very busy. It's a good thing I have Tyson to help me." His eyes then fell on Annabeth. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting this beautiful young woman."

Annabeth stood up also, extending her hand. "Annabeth Chase, sir. Percy's friend. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine, dear," he answered fondly, giving me a look. I inwardly rolled my eyes. I knew exactly what he meant. It was the first time that I brought someone here and Horace was assuming that Annabeth was someone special. "It's not everyday that Percy brings a friend."

"She wants to meet Tyson," I shared.

My brother's eyes widened. "Me?" he asked, pointing a finger to himself. I gave him a nod. He grinned, pushing a hand up that nearly knocked Annabeth off her feet. "Tyson."

Annabeth smiled sweetly at him. "It's nice to finally meet you," she said, shaking his hand. "Percy always talks about you."

_Lie,_ I thought. I never talked to anyone about my personal life. But looking at my brother's reaction, I knew it wasn't a bad thing to say.

"All good things, all good things?" Tyson frowned.

"Great things," Annabeth confirmed.

His face broke into another grin. "You are pretty," he told Annabeth. "Percy has a pretty girlfriend."

Annabeth didn't answer, just looking at me if I would deny it. I knew I couldn't. Tyson wouldn't understand and it would take a lot of time to explain the situation to him so I just nodded.

Tyson drew Annabeth into a hug. I swear I saw her turning blue.

"Hey, Ty," I called. He withdrew, looking at me. "Got any new movies?"

He nodded excitedly. He grabbed my hand and dragged me in front of the television, showing me his collection of new DVDs. I scanned the titles and picked _How To Train Your Dragon 2,_ knowing how much Tyson loved the first movie. "Seen this one?" I asked. He shook his head. Then his face broke into a grin, which, I knew if we both looked into a mirror, would be identical. "Come on, then."

I turned the player and television on and started the movie. Once the opening credit started to roll in, I went back to the couch and sat down. Tyson sat down between my legs, looking wide-eyed at the screen. I placed an arm on the top of his head and he giggled, pinching my leg.

I looked up to see Annabeth watching me with a small smile. I gestured to the seat beside me. She sat down and watched the movie with us. We were quiet for a moment until Horace broke the silence.

"I don't mean to intrude," he began. "I'm just wondering if Annabeth wouldn't mind helping me with the cookies."

"Oh, no. I would love to help," she answered quickly, standing up and following Horace to the kitchen.

I went back to watching the movie. It took me a couple of minutes to realize that my brother was not talking. Normally, whenever I came to visit, he would bug me endlessly to talk about what I'd been up to.

"Hey, Ty," I said to call his attention, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" He nodded, but I wasn't convinced. "You've been awfully quiet. Please tell me what's wrong."

My brother sighed. "Tyson is sad," he said, sniffling. "Because Percy won't see Tyson anymore. Percy has a girl."

His answer made me stop. That's the reason why he was silent? Because he thought I wouldn't see him anymore because of this girlfriend I was supposed to have?

"Oh, Ty," I whispered, drawing him closer to me so his head was on my lap. "I promise you it's not like that. I'm never gonna stop seeing my favorite person in the world. Never, ever. I promise."

He seemed unconvinced. "But Percy cares for Annabeth. Tyson knows."

He did it again. Cut through all my facade and saw directly to the heart of things, seeing something that I didn't want to see. "I-I do, okay? I'm not gonna deny that but Ty, you are my brother and I care for you more than I care for anyone." The next words barely came out. "If you don't like it, I will just stop seeing her."

Tyson shook his head vigorously. "No," he said quickly. "Annabeth makes Percy happy. Tyson likes happy Percy." He sighed again. "Will Percy promise to always see Tyson?"

I smiled and help my littlest finger. "I promise," I said. Tyson hooked his against mine and grinned at me. "Don't worry, buddy; you will always be my first priority."

Tyson seemed contented and settled back against my knee to continue watching the movie. Because I didn't really have anyone to talk to about this matter without being judged, I was compelled to speak to my brother and ask for his opinion.

"Ty?" I called. He looked at me, eyebrows raised. "Will it be okay to talk about her?"

He frowned. "Annabeth?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Why?"

"I-" I paused, having clue as to how I was supposed to phrase what I was thinking. Once I started, though, the words just kept coming like they'd been sitting on my tongue all along. I spoke without thinking. "I- I feel something, Ty, and I don't understand it. I don't know if I should just stay away from her like what I thought but each time that I try to, a reason presents itself for me to keep her close. What should I do?"

My brother was still frowning. "I don't know," he shrugged.

His clueless expression made me chuckle. "What's wrong with you?" I asked playfully. "You're my brother. You're supposed to give me advice about girls and dating."

He shrugged again. "Percy doesn't need Tyson's advice. Percy is smart. Percy knows what to do."

"Why do you have so much faith in me? Why do you believe in me?" I asked him.

"Because Tyson saw Percy. Because Tyson knows Percy," he answered simply. He reached out a hand and patted my leg, which pretty much busted my kneecap. "Percy knows what to do."

I shook my head. "I don't know. I know what I must do but what I want to do contradicts it." Tyson was watching me closely. I knew, even back then, that my brother was exceptionally smart. "Annabeth is the good part of life, Ty. If I get her associated with me, I will just dirty her. I will just ruin her and I can't do that."

"Percy won't," he said firmly. "Percy will love Annabeth like he loves Tyson."

Despite of the heavy feeling in my chest. "I don't doubt that," I told him. "I mean about me loving you." I held out my fist and Tyson bumped his against mine. "Thanks, buddy."

Tyson gave me a big grin. This time, we watched the movie and refrained from talking. Tyson was convinced that I wouldn't do anything to harm Annabeth but I knew already had. Just knowing me placed her in unknown danger. From Kronos. From Gaea.

From me.

With that aside, I think I finally understood what I wanted. I wanted to keep Annabeth close to me, not only to protect her but also because it's what I wanted to do. It's what I _needed_ to do. When faced with two equally dangerous options, how are you to choose? When it's between my feelings and her safety, how was I to make a decision? I was starting to understand my feelings for her, but entertaining them would only put her in grave danger. Not to mention the fact that I will never deserve her.

Annabeth came back after a while, holding a plate of chocolate-chip cookies. It was only later that I realized she looked upset. Right then, I was too focused on the delicacy in front of me.

We watched the movie in silence while munching on Horace's cookies. Sooner than later, the film rolled its end credits and I knew I had to go. I had a scheduled customer later tonight so I couldn't really stay.

"We should go," I told Annabeth. Tyson pouted. "Don't worry, big guy. I'll be back."

"Promise?" he asked.

"Promise," I said.

Tyson clapped his hand, giving me a hug. "Yay! You can kiss Annabeth now," he said.

My eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. "What?"

My brother looked confused. "Like Hiccup and Astrid," he pointed out. "Percy is Hiccup and Annabeth is Astrid. They kissed!" he added, making kissing noises.

I've never said no to my brother but I thought that would be the first time. I didn't get the chance, though, Annabeth pulled my neck down and kissed me on the lips. Without my permission, my eyes closed. All I could feel was Annabeth's soft lips against mine. The battle in my chest that I'd been keeping at bay for weeks now turned into a full-scale war. Suddenly, I wasn't so sure of my decision anymore.

Sooner than I liked to admit, Annabeth pulled away, her lips puffy from the kiss. I was no stranger to kisses. It's part of what I do for a living. But the one I shared with Annabeth was only the second that actually meant something.

"Yay!" Tyson clapped his hands again. He drew Annabeth into a hug. "Take care of Percy?" he asked her when he pulled away.

"Of course," she answered.

I took her hand. "Come on."

ANNABETH

"You want a love that consumes you," said Horace. "Passion. Drive. Desire," he continued, looking me in the eyes. "Even a little bit of danger."

I sat quietly on his kitchen, watching as he transferred cookies from a baking tray to a plate. I knew the moment he asked me to come with him that it wasn't just to get the cookies.

"Annabeth," he called to get my attention once we were in the kitchen. "I would like to speak to you about Percy, if you have a moment."

"What about him?" I asked, even when I had a vague idea what it was that he wanted to talk about.

He smiled kindly at me. "I was a soldier," he said. "One thing that I learned back then was to read people, to hear what they are not saying. He is different with you," he pointed out, looking me in the eyes. "And I see the way you look at him."

"What do you mean?"

He took a deep breath, leaning forward. "I've known Percy for a long time," he shared. "I'm his godfather and when both his parents died, I was contacted because no one was there to look after him and Tyson, but I didn't get the chance until last year." He paused, distracted by the ding of the oven. He put on a glove and took out the baking trays, the smell of baked chocolate wafting in the kitchen. "He has been through so much, has seen things no one his age should even be aware of. As you can expect, he changed. He was no longer the happy, hyperactive child who used to make me chase him around their house. The most obvious change that happened, though, was when he was thirteen. Even when he and Tyson jumped from foster home to another, he was still able to retain a piece of who he was when his mother was still alive. When I had the chance to see him four years ago, he was gone. The light in his eyes, his humor, his innocence - they were all gone. He wouldn't talk to me, he wouldn't say what happened."

I couldn't speak. My throat was too tight for it. I'd known Percy went through things, but to hear it from someone who saw him go through it made everything harsher.

"Last year, after an incident that left me the way I am now, I came back, started my own business and pulled some string to have custody of him and Tyson and I won. I'm their legal guardian now so it's my job to look after him."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know how this concerns me," I admitted. Sure I'd always wanted to hear about Percy's story but the way Horace started it made it clear it was somehow connected to me.

"He's changed again," he said. "And this time I know why. It's because of you."

I frowned. "He changed?" I asked. Horace nodded. "I'm sorry but from what I can see, Percy has always been the same."

Horace smiled. "Is he?"

I wanted to reply but found that I had none to give him. Percy did change, that much I could see. When we first started talking, he was no doubt an ass. But now he's different. Didn't he pushed me out of the way and took all the blood on his face instead of me? Didn't he go after me when I rushed out of the fast food earlier today? He even pulled me back to the pavement to save me. It's not just that, though. There were small things I'd been noticing. His voice, which normally was deep and uncaring, turned a little soft and gentle when he spoke to me. The touches, even when they're rough sometimes, definitely were caring. Could Horace be right?

"I don't think it's because of me," I told him.

"Believe me, Annabeth, I know Percy," said Horace. "This definitely is because of you. And one might think that Percy is finally changing back for the better, and because of that thought, this might come out as unreasonable to you." He paused, letting me digest his words. "I think it would be best if you stay away from Percy."

"What?" I asked, my voice rising. "If what you're saying is true and I'm the reason why he's changing, why would I leave him?"

"I don't expect you to understand," said Horace. "You know what Percy had went through. Life has been hard on him and because of that, he doesn't trust people. He had, years ago, but every time he opens himself to others, people just end up hurting him. It's for his sake, Annabeth, not yours. After what happened last time, I'd hate to see that boy broken again."

"Last time?"

Horace shook his head. "It's not a story for me to tell," he said. "I am sorry for requesting you this but it's my duty to him"

"I'm not going to hurt him," I said.

"You already have."

I was getting more confused. How could that be possible? What did I do to hurt him? "What do you mean?"

Realization dawned on him. I could see that much, even though he tried to hide it. "Of course you don't know," he said under his breath.

I stood up and went in front of him. "What is it that I don't know?" I demanded.

"You don't know what you've done to hurt him," he said a little too quickly, which lead me to believing that he was lying. "You young ones always overlook what you have done. Look, I get that most teenage girls are drawn to him because he's mysterious, but do not mistake what you need to do for what you want."

I was starting to get impatient. Screw this. "And what do I want?"

"You want a love that consumes you," he said, starting to transfer the baked goodies to a plate. "Passion. Drive. Desire. Even a little danger. Let me just tell you that you might get more than what you can handle by associating yourself with Percy."

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, Mr. Brunner, but Percy is my friend. I'm not going to stay away from him because someone asked me to without a proper explanation," I said. I took the plate of cookies. "I think I'll bring this back to the boys now, if you'll excuse me."

Percy and Tyson were still watching the movie. I sat back down beside Percy and tried not to think about my conversation with Horace. What could he mean that I'd already hurt Percy? And if he was right, and I was the reason why he's changing, why would he ask me to stay away from him? Percy had been telling me the same thing, was there an unknown variable I hadn't placed in the equation to fully understand him? Clearly, there was still something that I didn't know.

On top of all these, I couldn't just ignore what I knew I had started to feel for Percy. Especially when Tyson asked us to kiss. I could tell that Percy was struggling to come up with an explanation why he wouldn't. Tyson believed his brother and I were together so I didn't think any reason would be acceptable.

So I took matters into my own hand. I kissed Percy. Partly because I needed a distraction from all the confusing things I'd heard and the most part was because I wanted to. Percy didn't kiss me back but he didn't pull away, either. I wanted to deepen the kiss but somehow, I still had enough brain cells left working to know it wasn't the time or place.

I pulled away and received another hug from Tyson. "Take care of Percy?" he asked me.

"Of course," I told him because I knew I would always look after this green-eyed boy beside me.

"That was my first kiss."

Of all the things I could've said, that one came out of my mouth. I was nervous, uncertain on how he would react.

"It was impulsive of me to just give it away like that but I don't regret it," I added. Percy didn't answer. He just kept on looking ahead as he drove. "Will you say something?" I pushed.

"What do you want me to say, Annabeth?" he asked.

"That you liked it, that you hated it. Anything!"

"There's nothing to say," he told me. "You did the one thing that people who love each other do."

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe that's what I feel for you?" I asked him quietly.

Percy stepped on the brake so suddenly I would've went through the windshield if not for the seatbelt that he insisted that I wore. He looked at me, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Don't say that," he said in a low voice. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I do know what I'm talking about," I countered. "Unlike most, I actually know what I want and what I feel. And I don't think I need to say it again to you."

"You're seventeen years-old, Annabeth," said Percy. "You can't rush this type of thing. It - it takes time. It doesn't happen in a wink of an eye."

"Don't you think I know that?" I asked him. "Percy, whatever it is that I feel didn't happen overnight. It's been here years ago, even with the separation, and I only realized what I really feel recently. I even tried to deny it myself, but it was pointless. You can't escape this type of thing."

"Annabeth - "

I didn't let him finish. I needed to get it out or else I would never be able to. "I really like you, Percy," I whispered to him. "I'm not saying that I love you because I don't think that I'm there yet, but I do know that I like you and I want to be with you."

"We can't be together," he said, looking at me.

I knew he was going to say that. I knew I was not good enough for him. "Why, Percy?" I asked him in an unsteady voice. "I know that I'm not like them but -"

"Don't be ridiculous. Any sane guy would be lucky to have you."

"And you?"

"I'm insane."

I asked him the question I feared most, not of the question itself but of what answer I might get. "Am I not pretty enough? Am I too broken for you?"

He looked at me incredulously. "Did you just seriously quote a song to me? And no, Annabeth. You're wrong. You're not too broken for me, _I'm_ too broken for _you_."

"What are you even talking about right now?" I asked him.

"You think you understand my story, Annabeth?" he asked me, his nostrils flaring. "You don't even know half of it - "

"Then tell me -"

"- because I swear that once you find out -"

"- you won't even trust me -"

"- you'll go running away from me!" Percy yelled, completely silencing me. He was gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were turning white. He was shaking and his glare was enough to burn a hole through my skull. Unconsciously, I sat farther from him, squeezing myself against the door.

His expression softened, looking ahead and restarting the car. "And that's what I'm scared of," he said in a voice so low I barely heard it.

"Percy, nothing you tell me will turn me against you," I said. I took the risk and reached to hold his arm. "What I told you? That I'll be here and I won't give up on you? That's true. They're not just words."

"That's another thing that scares me," he said. "That you will uphold your promise and stay with me and you'll get caught up in my mess and you won't be able to get out." He looked at me. "I can't do that to you, so whatever you think you feel for me, I suggest that you do everything to stop it."

"I can't," I said. Now that I was sure that there was something that Percy felt for me, I wasn't going to just let it go. "I know myself, Percy. I know when I can stop something and I know when I cannot."

I looked at him, debating whether I should ask him the question that's been playing in my head. With a little information that Horace shared - about the _last one_ Percy was associated with - and what I gathered from Percy himself, his last relationship didn't end well. And the other person was Reyna.

"Percy," I called as he slowed down to stop the car in front of my house. "What happened to Reyna?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"I hardly think it's fair that you hold everyone accountable if she hurt you and left you -"

Suddenly, he was furious. "You think Reyna hurt me? You think she left me? Annabeth, don't be stupid."

Then I was mad, too. "Then tell me what happened!" I demanded. "If something bad happened to your relationship with her, at least tell me - "

"She died!" Percy yelled. "Is that what you want to hear, Annabeth?! Reyna died and there was nothing I could do about it. Are you happy now?!"

Silence filled the car. Percy was breathing heavily, his face red while me . . . I was crying. The obvious pain in his voice, the way he yelled - it hurt. It felt like I swallowed a spiked ball, destroying my voice box. I had difficulty speaking. "Percy, I-I"

"Get out," he said quietly.

"What?"

"Get out, Annabeth," he repeated.

My voice started working again. "No," I said firmly. "I'm not going out of this car until you tell me what really happened."

"No," he retorted. "You already know enough. It's time for you to go back to your house."

"No," I said again. "You obviously need someone to talk to and I'm not leaving you."

A grin slowly made its way to his lips. A grin that made the hair on my arms stand on end. "We'll see about that," he said, undoing his seatbelt. "You want me to snap at you, is that it? Then that's what I'll give you."

Suddenly he was on top of me, his lips claiming mine. It wasn't like what we shared earlier that night. No. That one was soft. Gentle. This one was hard, almost bruising my lips. There was urgency and desire. There was definitely desire.

It wasn't long before I was kissing him back. My hands weaved through his hair. His tongue traced the outline of my lips, asking for entrance. When I granted him it, I nearly passed out from the feeling of him inside my mouth.

I pulled on the roots of his hair, unable to contain the sensation I was receiving from him. Our tongues danced in synchronization. He tasted sweet. He smelled like the ocean and I was completely intoxicated by everything that he was.

His left hand gripped the headrest of the seat I was on while the other travelled down my side, sending licks of fire through my skin.

Percy bit my lower lip and sucked on and I thought I would lose consciousness from sensation overload. Then his lips travelled to my ear, to my neck and to my collarbone where he started nipping on my skin.

My whole body was on fire. There was a constant surge of electricity that was bringing every nerve in me alive. I leaned my head sideways, giving Percy more access to my skin. His lips - those things that were the incarnation of sin - were now kissing the top of my right breast.

I couldn't take it anymore. I shoved him off of me back to his seat and straddled him. As I kissed him, I started to question myself. I considered myself a strong, free-willed woman who is not afraid to go after the things she wants. And right then, I wanted to be with Percy. But was I ready? Was this really what I wanted to do?

Percy's hands gripped my waist and brought me down harder on his lap. My breath caught in my throat as I came in contact with something hard. I momentarily broke our kiss and looked down. I was drenched in desire, and based on the obvious erection hiding beneath Percy's pants, he was, too.

Percy grabbed my face and kissed me again, his hands on my lower back. We were both rough as teeth smashed against teeth and tongue met tongue. I experimentally rocked myself backward and forward and was met with a loud moan from Percy as I rubbed against his arousal.

I went down to his lower lip, then to his jaw, the stubble on his skin tickling my lips. I was kissing his neck, trying to copy what he did to me, while my hand was on its way to his crotch when . . . "Stop." I sat back up and looked at him. "You can't do that."

"Are you serious?!" I yelled at him. "You're not seriously doing this to me right now!"

He smirked, but it wasn't his usual cocky one. "It's your punishment for all your questions."

"Oh, don't pretend that your hard-on wouldn't be punished, too." I knew I wasn't talking like myself but lust had already clouded my brain.

"Who knew that Annabeth Chase actually knows how to talk dirty," he said cockily.

"I'll show you what a frustrated Annabeth can do," I said. I acted purely from my anger. I slapped him. Hard. And then I kissed him. Harder.

Percy opened the door to his side and lifted me off of his lap, detaching our lips and setting me down on the street in front of my house. "Percy Jackson, you ass!"

"Goodbye, Annabeth," he said, closing his door. Then the window was rolled down and he gave me a malicious grin. "And, oh, I'm still mad at you."

He then drove off, leaving me alone to sort through the tangled web of my emotions.

_**A/N**:__Whew. Am I evil?_

_Was that too much? Not enough? Let me know._

**[Next - Chapter 10: AT THE END OF THE STREET]**


	10. Chapter 10: At the End of the Street

_**A/N: **__Happy 2015, everyone!_

**_dogbiscuit1967:_**_ Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I can't promise that it's going to happen soon, though._

**_CupCakeQueen57:_** _First, thank you for giving this story a shot and providing me with a review. I hate to say this, but you're right. I won't answer your questions. Not directly, at least. I'll tell you one thing, though: Whoever you think killed Reyna, is wrong. It's not someone you expect. *wink*_

**_ADayWithNoLaughterIsADayWasted: _**_Yeah. Those songs I like because I relate to them. :D_

**_DareRelaqz:_**_ Mostly from songs, TV shows and movies I watch, but this one is kind from real life. Not from me. When Never Let Me Go was about to come to an end and I was thinking of a new story, I pass by some people from our neighborhood and they were talking about this woman who was a known prostitute and they were saying how bad of a person she is and that she doesn't deserve a place in society. I hate people who judge others and I was thinking that everyone has their story to tell and one shouldn't hate or comment about someone else's unless they understand what it's like to live that person's life completely._

_I'm so sorry for that long reply. Thank you, though, for reading and leaving a review. :D_

**_kwancy:_**_ I'm very much thankful that you chose to leave a review for Demons. Thank you so much for the encouragement. :D_

**_Warning:_**_ Abuse._

_DON'T JUST READ, LEAVE A REVIEW!_

**DEMONS**

Chapter 10: AT THE END OF THE STREET

**PERCY**

I couldn't believe I did what I did.

Leaving Annabeth in front of her house - that's something I knew I would do, but what I did in my car with her? That I couldn't believe. Sure, I did it all the time with my customers but she was different. She was not some horny teen who has sex with anyone. I respected her, held her in high regards and yet, I seduced her.

The thing that made it worse was she gave into it.

I couldn't forget the feeling of lips against mine. Her scent had overpowered my senses. I could still feel her warmth against my body.

I imagined it were her lips trailing kisses from my chest down to my abdomen. I imagined it was her hand grabbing me beneath my underwear, that it was her tongue licking a hot stripe from my belly button down to my navel, that it was her nails that raked my back when she finished.

Annabeth. It was her face that was in my mind the entire night I was servicing my customer, not solely because I needed her, but because she was the one thing that stayed in my mind.

"They weren't kidding," the woman lying beside me panted. I couldn't even remember her name. She said I was a gift from her friends for her bachelorette party. "You really are a performer. I'm glad they picked you." She settled her head against my shoulder as her hand wandered to my navel.

I removed her hand and stood up. Her eyes raked my body and stayed on my midsection. I didn't cover myself up; if that's what would satisfy her, so be it. "You know the rules, Ma'am," I told her. "Only one round. If you want another one, you'll have to double up the payment."

Her expression soured. "I guess I'll just see you some other time then."

I nodded but felt sick to my stomach. She was gonna get married two days from that night and she was thinking of having sex with another man? The world really is a fucked up place.

Or maybe I'm the one who's fucked up, for agreeing and letting them do this to me. I never let myself feel before. Emotions are liabilities in what I did. I'd had sex with married women countless of times. I'd even had a threesome with a mother and daughter before and I'd never felt like this. Maybe I did; I just kept them at bay.

The one that made the difference: Annabeth. When I recognized I had some feelings for her, I had to pause and think if I should let everything back in: pain, loneliness, hatred, self-loathing, shame. All these negative emotions just so I could feel a good one, one that I felt for Annabeth. Would it be worth it?

I put my clothes back on as she watched me. I was putting on my jeans when she stood up and stopped me. She handed me another envelope. "It's already taken cared of," I said.

"For one more thing I'd like to do," she said, sinking to her knees in front of me.

When I walked out of her house, I was very angry. At myself. At Gaea and everyone for making me do this. I caught my reflection on a car window and I wanted to beat myself up. I was disgusted with myself.

In my anger, when I saw a homeless man sitting at the side of the street, I handed him the money that the woman had given me, not stopping with his stunned face.

"Percy?" A voice called, stopping me from going back to the spot where I had parked my car. I turned back to see Nico, holding a grocery bag on his hand. "What were you doing in Amy's house?" he asked me.

I cursed under my breath. "I-I was just - "

"Does it have something to do with this?" he asked, holding his phone up.

I stopped. What Nico had up on his phone was a website, but not just an ordinary one. He had _the _website - the one where the organization's clients can view the profile of the ones they can choose from to satisfy their sexual needs.

It couldn't be accessed by anyone. One had to have connections to someone on the inside to even get an invitation, which would then give them instructions on how they can access it by themselves. Nico having it on his phone could only meant two things: either he knew someone from the inside and was actually trying to _rent_ one of us, or someone wanted him to see the site.

Somehow I knew that it was the second one. If he knew someone who could've told him, he would've known about me and would've outed me out.

With this realization, I didn't have to wonder who gave him the information. It was clear that either Gaea or Kronos saw it fit that someone had to know my secret. At that point, I wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

There was no point in hiding it. Nico had my profile up, containing information and photos. Even videos of me servicing my previous customers to encourage others interested on what I could do in bed.

I faced Nico, who strangely, I considered a friend. "Now you know my big secret, Nico," I told him. His reaction showed how shocked he was with what he found out. "It's who I am. Someone who sells his body to whoever can pay. I have sex for money."

"That -that's why you don't have problem with money," he concluded. I nodded. "Why you have a big house, an expensive car . . . all because of this."

"For the record, I didn't buy that Maserati; it really was a gift," I told him.

"From a customer?" he asked.

I confirmed his suspicion. I was considering whether I should keep on talking to him. If he found out the whole truth, he would suffer the same fate as Reyna did. I could tell him everything and hoped that it would be enough to scare him into staying away from me. Knowing Gaea and Kronos, though, Nico wouldn't be safe once he knew everything.

Or I could just turn around and disappear from their lives. That seemed like the more preferable option, but then I thought about Annabeth. I knew that if I just disappeared, she and this kid in front of me would look into this matter themselves and they would be in a bigger mess than they already are.

Then there was my last option. I could tell Nico half the truth and hoped it would be enough to stop him from further looking into it.

I made my decision. "Yes," I told him. "As a token of thanks."

Nico shook his head. "Wow," he muttered. "I knew you'd been keeping something from us but I never thought this is what you do." He paused. "Why are you doing it? You could've worked a different job without having to sell yourself."

I looked around, hoping nobody was listening. I gestured for him to follow me as I started to walk. "Keep your voice down," I warned him. "It wasn't my choice, Nico. I had to do it or I would've lost my brother."

"Why, what happened? And how long have you been doing this?" He caught himself, his face reddening. "You don't have to answer that."

I shook my head. "Somehow I know that if I don't, you will resort to other methods to find out yourself and if I know you, you will enlist Annabeth's help."

"That I will," he agreed. He then looked at me. "She doesn't know, does she?"

"Do you think she would want to be around me if she does?" I asked him. "No, she doesn't."

"You talk like you have a contagious disease," he said quietly.

I chuckled darkly. "You don't get it, Nico; _I am_ the disease. And now that you know, if you're smart, you will be disgusted and will stay away from me."

He rolled his eyes. "You don't have to question my intellect because it's non-existent; which is why I'm still your friend."

"No," I answered. "Even the most stupid person wouldn't want to be associated with someone like me. If I was in your position, I would've steered clear of me."

"But you're not," he said. "I'm me and I don't really care about what you do for a living." He stopped himself, considering what he just said "I guess I do care a bit, but it's not for me. It's for Annabeth."

I nodded. "I know, Nico. Why do you think I'd been so adamant in staying away from her?"

"I guess I see your point," he agreed. "But I think we can both say that it's too late to leave now. If you disappear, she will never stop until she finds you."

"I know," I told him. "I shouldn't have talked to her. I should've just gone and never let myself be a part of her life. I should never have come back."

"Why did you, anyway?" he asked. "From what I knew you'd been gone since you were four. Why come back last year?"

I shrugged. "I don't know," I told him. "I guess I wanted to look back and imagine what my life could've been if my parents didn't die." Because I was deeming our conversation too serious and personal, I felt the need to at least say something. "And business is bigger here," I told Nico meaningfully.

Nico nodded. "I guess I can see that," he said. "Was Mrs. Woods also a customer?"

I wanted to tell him off and stop asking me questions but then I realized that it was my decision to tell Nico. I had to be as honest as possible and only lie if it would lead us back to the organization.

"She was," I answered. "And if your follow-up question is why she was caught, I don't know." Obviously a lie, but I couldn't tell him the events that lead to my recording one of my sessions with Mindy. "Someone managed to tape us fucking and gave it to the principal."

Nico kept on looking at me. "I-they said . . . I heard you were begging for her to stop."

I didn't know why but his comment made me smile. Maybe it's the uncertainty to voice out the question, or maybe it's because there were hidden messages in his tone. Like why would a teenage guy with very active hormones be against sex. "You'd be surprised what people are capable of," I told him. "And just because I'm a guy and not exactly losing anything when it comes to sex doesn't mean that I have to like it. Most of the time I have to do things that physically and mentally hurt me."

Nico looked down. "I-I'm sorry for prying," he said, ashamed. "I don't mean to ask you questions that make you uncomfortable."

I sighed. "It's fine, Nico. To be honest, it feels kinda good to have someone listen to me whine."

"You have every right to whine," he pointed out.

"Yeah well, if you still have questions I suggest we get some coffee," I said, licking my lips. "I can still taste Amy's discharge in my mouth."

I didn't really know what I was saying until Nico's face reddened and he looked like he was choking. Despite the circumstance and my worry of what might happen now that someone knew who I was, I had to laugh. His reaction was just too hilarious.

"Sorry about that," I told him. "I should've anticipated that such comment would've made you uncomfortable."

"Just don't say anything like that again," he muttered as we entered the nearest Starbucks.

"No promises there; it's what I do."

After ordering our coffee, Nico and I found ourselves seats and waited for our beverages. "What were you doing out?" I asked him, trying to avoid giving too much information.

"I was tasked to get some chips," he shared. Then I remembered that he and the rest of his group were having a sleep over at my house. "I was able to get some but Hazel demanded for a specific brand, which is why I'm still looking."

"I forgot you live around here," I muttered.

"Two java mocha chip for Percy," a voice announced. I stood up and took our orders. The cashier looked at me funnily and giggled as I took the cups. I decided to ignore it and went back to our table. I handed Nico his and took a sip from mine, grateful for the rich taste of whipped cream.

Nico leaned forward. "You have lipstick on your jaw and hickey on you neck," he said. "Must be why they were looking at you."

I grabbed a tissue and wiped my face with it. Surely there was red smear on it. I hiked up the collar of my shirt to cover any remaining evidence of my encounter with Amy.

"Percy, can I ask you a question?" Nico wondered.

"I suppose if I say no you will find a way to find the answer, won't you?" I asked back.

"I promise it's not really about . . . you know, _that,_ but is somehow related to it," he said nervously.

I leaned back. "Fire away."

"Um, what's sex with a woman like?" he asked, face red. I burst out laughing. "What?" he asked innocently. "I'm curious."

"If you're that curious, I know people. I can hook you up with someone who will show you a good time," I offered. I wasn't serious. I'm against with this type of thing and would never put someone through what I was forced to do.

"What?!" he exclaimed, bringing everyone's attention to us. "No! Um . . . you're crazy! I happen to like who I am and I'm not changing that."

"Relax, I was just kidding," I offered. "If you want to know, I'm not the correct person to ask. Yes, I've had sex with a lot of women but I don't love any of them. Those experiences I had were just fucking and not making love. I suppose it feels good if I use the head in my pants for thinking," I said, smirking at Nico's wide eyes. "But with what I do, it feels awful. Three to four times a week, I have sex with different women and each time I want to beat myself up. Numerous women and I've never made love to anyone." I paused. "You know, I consider myself an old soul, saving myself until the night of my wedding so I can look my future wife in the eyes and proudly tell her that I will be giving her something I never gave anyone." I sighed. "None of that is happening, though."

Nico looked at my sympathetically. I hated that look. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I said with a wave if dismissal. "I'm used to letting them use me for their pleasure."

Nico sipped his drink before speaking again. "Since we're already here talking, I believe we should also discuss Annabeth."

"I agree."

"Are you planning to tell her?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know," I admitted. "I could and hope that she will take it the same way you do."

"That I cannot guarantee," he said. I straightened. "I mean I know Annabeth will accept you no matter what but how hurt she will be? That I cannot guarantee. She cares for you. I know her well enough to know she cares deeply for you and this knowledge might break her."

"What are you suggesting?" I asked him.

"Ease her into it," he said. "I think she deserves to know the truth about you but you can't tell her everything at once. And then you can quit."

I shook my head, chuckling. "I wish it's that simple," I told him. "I cannot just quit whenever I want to. There will be consequences."

Nico frowned. "Are you in some sort of trouble?"

"No " I lied. During our conversation, I have made my decision. I wasn't gonna tell Annabeth anything. I wouldn't disappear from her, either, but I had to do something to keep her from danger. "There's something I need you to do for me, Nico." He raised his eyebrows at me. "I need you to talk to Annabeth. I need you to tell her to stay away from me. Now that you know the truth, you understand it's the best thing to do."

"What?" he asked, confused. "I thought we established that you're not leaving?"

"I'm not," I said. "I'm staying to keep an eye out for her and watch her from a distance but whatever it is that we have has to stop now."

Nico stared at me. "You feel something for her," he concluded.

I didn't see any point in denying it. "I do, which is why I'm doing this. Annabeth deserves forever and not someone like me. She deserves to be happy. She deserves a life and I cannot take that away from her."

"I do see your point, Percy," said Nico. "I really do. But if you care for Annabeth, you will quit for her and start a new life."

I gave him a small smile. "This is the only life I will ever have." I stood up. "I need to go. You can get your chips and I need to walk back to my car."

I parked my Maserati a few blocks away from Amy's house. Specific instructions. I couldn't let anyone see me. I had to use her backdoor.

Nico sighed. "Fine," he conceded.

We were about to part ways when a woman's scream pierced the air. I frowned and looked around, searching for the source.

"Help! Somebody!" the woman screamed again.

My blood ran cold. I recognized her voice.

"That sounds like . . . " Nico started.

"Annabeth," I finished.

**ANNABETH**

"I'm not sure, Piper," I said, kicking off my shoes and sitting down on my bed. "It felt great kissing him and feeling him up against me but I'm not really sure why I pushed myself on him like that."

Piper chuckled from the other line. "You're attracted to him, Annabeth. That's to be expected." I sighed as images from what happened in Percy's car played in my head. "You've got to give me more details, though."

I smiled. "No way, Piper; I'm keeping the details to myself."

"Oh, come on!" she protested. "That's not fair. When Jason and I did something along that line, I told you everything."

"Even details about your boyfriend's body!" I exclaimed. "I mean, I love you Piper and I'm happy for you and Jason but I don't need the picture in my head."

"Annabeth Chase," she said. "I know you're a straight-A, independent, sometimes cold, young woman - or at least that's what people think you are - but that doesn't mean you don't get curious about these things. It's completely natural. It's part of our discovery process." There was a pause from the other side as I digested her words.

Piper had a point. People look at me like all I cared about were books and school - and I did. I took those very seriously - but there was a part of me that wanted to have fun, to discover things on my own and learn from mistakes and bad decisions I made. I didn't want to be stuck into a thinking that I should always play by the rules. After all, best things happen when you think outside the box.

"And for the record, I love Jason," Piper continued. "I'm just curious about this guy that captured my friend's attention."

"Fine, fine," I conceded, lying on my side. "He's a very good kisser, Piper. I mean, I wouldn't really know because I had nothing to compare it to but when he kissed me, it's like I was transported to another world. He knew where to kiss, where to touch and how to make me explode with pleasure." I sighed as I ran a finger through my hair.

"Did you touch him?" Piper asked.

"No," I answered. "Percy stopped me before I could."

"He did?" Piper asked. "Wow. Can't say there's too many guys out there who would do so."

"I guess," I agreed. "I wanted to, though. Not just out of curiosity but because I wanted him to feel good. Because I wanted to be with him."

"Sounds like he was protecting you from it, though," Piper offered.

"I get that," I told her. "And part of me is grateful that he respected me enough to but I'm also frustrated. I mean, it's not everyday that I get the courage to do what I did."

"I see your point," said Piper. "But you've got to admit, Percy's a one of a kind guy. I mean he's got nothing on Jason - and yes I'm being completely biased here - but I think Percy is one of those guys who can love deeply."

"And do you think he feels something for me?" I asked hopefully.

"It's very clear he does," said Piper. "The way you described everything to me makes it perfectly obvious he feels something for you. You have to make sure to reach into that part of him to communicate what you feel."

I exhaled. "I wish he will make it easier and just be outright with what he feels."

"He will," Piper said. "You just have to play your cards right."

"Who has to play his cards right?" asked a voice from the other line. I recognized it as Jason's. "Who are you talking to, babe?"

"Annabeth," Piper said. "Percy problems."

Jason laughed. "Are you even making any progress?" he asked, chuckling.

"Oh, shush," she scolded her boyfriend. "She and Percy made out already," she announced proudly.

"Piper!" I exclaimed.

"You have?" Jason asked unbelievingly.

"Yeah," I answered. "And your girlfriend was just asking me to describe Percy's body," I added, wanting to get back at her.

"Annabeth!"

"Babe!"

I laughed. "Oh, guys, what would I do without you?" I asked them.

"Hey, what don't you get here and have some fun?" Jason offered while Piper made kissing noises from behind him.

"Yeah. I guess I would."

"What about your Dad?" asked Piper.

"He's not here,. They all went out to catch a movie and have dinner," I told them. "Give me fifteen minutes and I'll be there."

"And see if you run into Nico," Jason said. "We sent him to get some chips but he hasn't come back."

"Okay."

I put my shoes back on and changed into a different shirt. I was on my way to the door when I remembered that I should send a text to my father. I didn't want to, but I didn't want to worry him, either so I sent Matt a text to tell him and my step-mother where I would be. He would get it after they were done with the movie.

I went out and made sure that the door was locked. I hugged my jacket as I started to walk. Nico's house was a few blocks away from my house but because I wanted to think, I chose to walk.

My mind automatically went back to the source of my troubles these days: Percy. If I was correct with what I'd seen and what I'd observe, I believe he was indeed starting to feel something from me. It might sound conceited coming from me but I needed something to keep me going at this time. This time when my family made me feel in every way possible that I was unwelcome in my own home. Percy was the refuge that I needed and was looking for.

He might act the way he was but I'd seen enough cracks on his facade to make me believe that he was, deep inside, a good person. He'd been through so much hardships in life, which was why he seemed to be closed off to others. In a way, we were alike. Maybe it was part of the reason why it was so easy for me to fall for him.

I never understood it before, but the longing I felt while I was growing up away from Percy - it pointed to one thing. Others who hear this might disregard what I felt as something else - infatuation, crush - but I knew what I felt. I now understood it.

I thought back to what happened earlier in Percy's car. I felt my face getting hot - that wasn't who I am. I never pushed myself to someone, even said someone was my crush. With him, though, everything else faded. I threw all my inhibitions away, all my fears and just let myself do what my heart instructed me to do.

It was just extremely frustrating he pulled away before something even happened. When I dug deeper, though, I found out I was relieved. I knew I was nowhere near ready for something as intimate as sex.

I kicked a loose stone in frustration.

Suddenly car alarms blared. I looked up to see that the stone I kicked hit a parked car, denting the side door. Four guys who were smoking stood up from a drinking session at the side of the street, checking who had caused the car's alarm to go off. In my preoccupation, I didn't notice that I steered away from the common street and ended up on a more secluded part of the city.

"What the fuck?!" One of the guys, who was wearing a leather jacket, yelled.

"I-I'm so sorry," I stammered. "I didn't m-mean to."

The second guy started to look me up and down, as though seizing me up. I started to back away, my heart hammering in my chest. I hit someone and I whipped around, surprised to see a fifth guy standing there, smirking at me.

"I-I'm going to pay for the repairs," I told them, trying to find an escape route.

"Oh, you will," said the third guy. "But not with money."

The fourth one grabbed my arms and started to kiss my neck. My stomach clenched in disgust. I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of screaming for help. I brought my knees up and hit him in the groin. He doubled over, gasping for breath. His friends were stunned. I took the opportunity and elbowed his nose, breaking it.

Then I started running.

Or tried to. Someone grabbed me from behind, ripping my jacket off of me. I kept running, stumbling on my own feet. I wasn't very familiar with the neighborhood I was in; I just kept on running.

I spotted an alley. I stopped to momentarily catch my breath and to make sure that I wasn't going to end up on a dark and dead end of an alley. I saw that this was going to lead me to a more populated part of the city.

I looked back to check my pursuants, only to be greeted by a bundled cloth that hit my shoulder. Pain shot from my shoulder blade. There must've been a stone or something inside or it wouldn't have hurt that much. I ran, but stumbled on a loose gravel and fell face down. I could hear their footsteps and knew that they were close.

I tried to stand up but I didn't know I'd twisted my ankle and it wouldn't support my weight. I crawled, hiding behind a dumpster. I clamped my hand in front of my mouth to hide the sound of my breathing.

My heart was beating so hard against my chest and I knew if it was making a sound, I would've been discovered.

I remembered all the movies I'd seen where a character was placed in a similar situation. I'd always thought it was scary but not a single movie had projected how terrifying it really was. The uncertainty whether you are going to get out of it alive, or if you will end up dead on the cold street.

Footsteps receded. I counted to a hundred in my head and when there was no more sound, I slowly stood up and took a peek and saw no one. I exhaled in relief and slowly went out of my hiding place.

Wrong move. I was thrown against the wall, my head hitting the stone. I fell back on the ground, black spots dancing across my line of sight. I was thrown again to my back. Someone straddled me end started to kiss my face and neck. I struggled but found that I was immobile. Two pair of hands was holding my ankles and wrists while the man on top of me ripped my shirt open and started to feel me up, his mouth covering mine. His tongue entered my mouth and I bit hard, putting everything I had on it.

He sat back, blood pouring out of his mouth. In anger, he clenched his fist and punched me hard on the face. I must've lost consciousness for a few seconds. The next thing I knew, one of them was lowering my underwear.

"Help!" I screamed. I was too weak to fight but I wasn't gong to let them defile me. "Somebody!"

The men laughed out loud while the one on top of me was now starting to remove my underwear. He didn't get to finish, though; he was thrown off of me and was slammed against the wall.

I closed my eyes, sure that more of his friends had joined him. There were a lot of screaming and cursing. It slowly dawned on me that whoever arrived was fighting. I curled into a ball and started to back away from the sound of the fighting.

I wanted for this night to end. Or better yet, for me to just wake up on my bed, everything a bad dream. Or maybe I was still with Percy, listening to music in his car.

There was a metallic clang and a second later, a hand touched my shoulder. I acted on instinct. I swung my fist blindly and felt the pain in my knuckles as it found its target.

"Ow, fuck!" a familiar voice yelled. "Annabeth, open your eyes; it's me!"

He tried to hold me again hut I fought against his strong hands. "Let go!"

"It's Percy!" the person screamed. "And Nico!"

I slowly opened my eyes and saw him kneeling in front of me. His nose was broken and his lip was split open. Relief surged through me and I threw myself at him. "T-t-t-they tried t-t-t-to -" I wanted to tell him what nearly happened but my mouth wasn't cooperating.

"Ssh," Percy whispered, rubbing my bare back. "It's fine; I'm here now. Nothing's gonna happen to you."

"Shit, Percy," another voice cursed. A voice I immediately placed as Nico's. "She's hurt. We should bring her to a hospital."

Percy pulled away from me. Or at least he tried to. I clung tightly on shirt, shielding my body with his. "No," he said. "We'll bring her to your house." He grabbed something from his pocket and tossed it to Nico. "Walk a few blocks back and bring my car here." Nico didn't move. He just kept looking at me, bruise starting to show on the left side of his face. "Now, Nico!"

He turned and ran.

Percy grabbed my face between his hands. "Did they hurt you?" he asked, his face red and his voice shaking in anger. "Annabeth, talk to me. Does anything hurt? Did they touch you?" I couldn't answer. I was having difficulty breathing. "Goddamnit, Annabeth, talk to me!"

I flinched at the sound of his voice. His expression softened as he pulled me back into his arms, rocking me back and forth. I settled against his chest, breathing in his ocean-scented perfume.

"Please, please, don't let her be hurt," Percy was chanting above me. "Please. Not her. Not her."

I looked up at him and saw that there were tears in his eyes. "P-P-Percy . . . "

"Shh," he soothed, brushing the hair away from my eyes. "It's fine. You're okay. They're not gonna hurt you while I'm here." He again tried to pull away, but my iron grip was holding him in place. "Annabeth, it's okay. I'm just gonna take off my jacket. You're shivering."

I loosened my grasp and let him. Percy shrugged his jacket off and wrapped it around me, guiding my arms through the sleeves, which were too long for me. He then zipped it up. "Can you stand up?" he asked me. I gave a slight nod and slowly made my way up. Percy was there, letting me lean against him. My pants were around my knees. He tugged it back up and zipped it, too. When done, he drew me again into a hug, for which I was thankful for.

The screech of car brakes broke us apart. Percy's silver Maserati stopped at the mouth of the alley. Percy scooped me up on his arms and carried me back to his car. I caught sight of one of the men who assaulted me and my stomach clenched in anger. They were all passed out, faces dripping blood.

A car door opened and I was sat inside. I didn't let go of Percy's arm and made him climb in beside me. When he did, I curled against him, trying to absorb his body heat.

"I really think we should take her to a hospital," Nico insisted.

"Your house, Nico, trust me."

"What about them?" he asked, nodding to the men.

"I'll send someone to deal with them," said Percy. Nico looked like he wanted to say something but Percy cut him off. "Drive now!"

Nico didn't have a choice but to obey.

I must've drifted in and out of consciousness because the next thing I knew, bright lights were blinding me and I could hear my friends' voices.

"Oh, my God! What happened?!" That was Piper.

"What have you done with her?!" Thalia.

"It wasn't him," Nico explained. "Men tried to rape - "

"Not now, Nico," Percy said, setting me down on a couch. He knelt in front of me and took my hands. "Annabeth?" he called softly. "Can you hear me?"

I nodded "Y-yes," I was able to answer, thankful that my voice was starting to work again.

"Good," Percy said. "Can you tell me what hurts?"

At this point I was starting to become aware of my surroundings. Thalia, Jason and Piper, Hazel and Frank and Leo and Calypso were all there, which meant that we were at Nico's.

"M-my ankle," I answered in an unsteady voice. "And my face. The guy hit me."

Percy's expression morphed into a murderous one. If I thought I'd seen him angry before, that was nothing compared to how he looked when he heard my answer.

He cracked his knuckles and stood up. "That's it. I'm going back there and I'm gonna kill them!"

He started to head to the door but Nico blocked him. "Percy, no," he said, placing a hand on his chest.

"Get out of my way, Nico!"

"No!" Nico screamed back at him. "Look at her, Percy. Annabeth needs you here right now. You can deal with them later."

Conflicting emotions crossed his face. There seemed to be an internal struggle whether he should go back out or stay but after a minute, he turned back to me and assumed his earlier position. "Thalia?" he called, looking up. "Do you have extra clothes?"

"Yes," Thalia answered.

"I need the girls to take her to a spare room and clean her up," Percy instructed. "Get her out of those clothes. Now."

Piper, Thalia, Hazel and Calypso all nodded. They each assisted me in standing up. They were about to turn me to the stairs but I didn't let them. "No," I whispered. "P-please don't go."

Percy gave me a comforting smile. He went to me and placed a small kiss at the side of my head. "I'm not going anywhere, baby. I just need to make a phone call and I'll be with you, okay? I promise."

I acknowledged it by letting my friends lead me upstairs. Hazel was sniffling as she and the rest took me to what I knew was a guest room. They made me sit on the bed. Calypso worked on easing Percy's jacket off of me while Thalia removed my pants. Piper was sent to get a basin and a washcloth.

"Oh, Annie," Thalia whispered, brushing my hair. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

I didn't answer. All I wanted was for Percy to get back. I needed the comfort only he can bring. I wasn't paying any attention to what my friends were saying, the events of tonight playing in my head. The next thing I was aware of was Thalia asking me to stand up so she could put the shorts on me. I complied, wincing as my ankle protested.

When done, I sat back on the bed and brought my knees to my chest. "Is there anything we can get you?" asked Hazel.

I shook my head. "Just Percy. Please get Percy."

They all nodded and exited the room. A minute later, Percy came in. I made space on the bed for him. He didn't just sit down, though. He lied down on the bed and made me lie next to him. I placed my head on his chest and hugged him.

"I thought I understand what I'm feeling but I'm wrong," Percy said, weaving his fingers through my hair. "When I saw you lying on the ground, hurt, I almost died. I was so scared I've lost you, that I was too late to save you."

"You weren't," I told him.

"I almost was," he said. "Right then I got it. I don't really care now because I need to be with you, Annabeth. I was so afraid that I would just end up hurting you that it blinded me of the truth: I already have."

"No," I argued. "You haven't."

"Yes, I have," he said. "When I tried to keep you away from me, I hurt you in the worst way possible." He paused and I again felt his lips touching the top of my head. "I fought what I felt and it's exhausting. So to avoid that and to make sure I'm not gonna hurt you again, I will stop doing it."

I looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

He closed his eyes and kissed my forehead. "It means that I'm tired of denying myself of the one person that I need to complete my life so I'm just gonna love her and keep her close to me."

"So that means . . . "

"That means no one's gonna hurt you as long as I'm around," he said softly. "I will protect you. I'll be the shadow that protect you. I'll be everything you need."

I sighed contentedly. Even when this night was almost hell, one good thing came out of it. "Now close your eyes," he instructed me. I did and even with the darkness that took over, I could still see him. I felt another kiss on my forehead. "Sleep, my Annabeth. I'm here. I'll keep the dreams away," he whispered.

**[Next - Chapter 11: HEART OF DARKNESS]**


	11. Chapter 11: Heart of Darkness

**_A/N: _**_Hi!_

_Sorry, I have no time to reply to your reviews. Kinda pressed for time. Keep 'em coming, though. I need them._

_DON'T JUST READ, LEAVE A REVIEW!_

o.O.o

**DEMONS**

Chapter 11: HEART OF DARKNESS

**PERCY**

"I don't like what being around you means for her," Thalia said, glaring at me from where she stood. Her friends were around us, having a very late snack. "She was fine until you came along."

"I know," I told her. "I wish there's something I could do to correct it but I'm afraid it's too late."

"It's never too late," she said.

"It is, in this case," I said. "There are so many things I wish I can tell you, but I can't," I added, giving a meaningful look at Nico. "I won't try and change your decision because I agree with you. However, we're talking about Annabeth here. If I do try to leave, she will find a way to find me." Thalia smirked. "I'm sorry if I sound too full of myself but it's the truth."

"I cannot argue with that," said Thalia. "And I'm not gonna be a bitch and conspire to break the two of you apart. I care about Annabeth and I want her to be happy and if she finds that with you then so be it. But you, Percy Jackson, better get yourself straightened out. I know Annabeth and Nico know something about you that they're not sharing." Nico looked uncomfortable as he pressed an ice bag against his jaw. "I won't try to find out but I just want to get one thing out: if you ever hurt my best friend, I'm gonna kill you."

I nodded at her. "Duly noted." Nico tossed me an extra ice bag, pointing to my cheekbone. I pressed it against my face and sighed as the cold eased the pain. Hazel was looking back and forth at me and Nico. "I'm sorry I got your brother in trouble," I told her.

She seemed surprised with my apology. "No, you didn't," she told me. "My brother protected his friend. This will surely earn him a punishment from Dad but I can't help but be proud."

Nico grinned at her. "That's my sis."

I stood up. "Will it be okay if I stay the night?" I asked no one in particular.

"Of course," said Nico.

"Thank you," I told him. "If you guys will excuse me, I will go back to Annabeth." No one said anything so I went back upstairs and checked on her.

Annabeth was curled on a ball, lying on her side. The pillow I used earlier clutched tightly to her chest. She looked so young, so vulnerable that it ached to look at her, remembering what nearly happened to her that night.

Back at the coffee shop, I had made a choice that even when I wouldn't leave, I still would stay away from Annabeth. I didn't exactly know how I would be able to accomplish that but I decided to leave the details for later.

Nico had found out my secret - something that was clearly because of Kronos or Gaea - and even when he didn't react negatively about it, the consequences the truth posed was still too much to just overlook. I had to make sure to avert the threat. I didn't want someone else to be end up like Reyna . . .

Being around Annabeth, I knew that keeping the truth would be impossible. Even when Nico had told me he would keep it, the truth always has a way of revealing itself. If ever that happened, I could always disappear completely from her life.

When I saw Annabeth lying on the ground, hurt, everything vanished in my mind. I didn't give a damn about anything anymore. I just wanted to protect her, to make sure that she wasn't gonna get hurt.

My vision was suddenly tinted in red and I moved without thinking. To be honest, everything was nothing but a blur. I unleashed all the rage I'd been holding, all the anger that I felt every time that a woman I didn't know was running her hands on my body.

I looked at the men assaulting Annabeth like they were animals. Prowlers. Predators. Creatures that feed off of the fear and suffering they inflict on others. To me, they were no longer human beings. They were demons that needed to be killed.

I swung my fist, I jabbed with my elbow and kicked with all force I could muster. My hands closed around something metal and I hit anyone who dared to come close to me or Annabeth.

I would've bashed their skulls in if not for Nico stopping me. I almost hit him, too, if not for the one word he muttered that cleared my head.

". . . Annabeth," he said, wincing. "She needs you to comfort her."

I dropped the man I was pummeling, his face covered in blood and dents. Annabeth looked so small, curled against the wall, her hands covering her face. I crawled to where she was and tried to calm her down.

She was unmoving and for a second I thought I lost her. It hit me like a train. I was weightless. My existence was suddenly meaningless. A world without Annabeth Chase? That would be unbearable. It was then that I realized that my feelings for her went deeper that I ever thought. I didn't just care about her. I didn't just want to protect her. I needed to be with her. It wasn't want, it was a need that had to be fulfilled or else I would go out of my mind.

The consequences of being with her just disappeared and on a split second a decision had been made for me.

Then Annabeth punched me in the face.

I knew she could protect herself to some degree, but she would be nothing to the people we were going up against. It was obvious who was behind the attack. Nobody would do such thing but them. I would have to get some information out of her when she was ready.

I sat down beside her bed and stared at her. My chest hurt, seeing her bruised. My fist clenched, the veins bulging. Those men deserved to die. I could've sent them straight to hell if not for Nico stopping me.

I could feel myself starting to shake. I tried to calm myself, knowing that if I didn't, I would start hitting someone.

"You have to take a break." I jumped at Nico's voice, almost kicking Annabeth's bed. I looked back to glare at him. "Sorry," he apologized, stepping inside. He still had an icepack against his jaw.

"You gotta stop doing that," I told him. "What do you need?"

"To talk," he said.

"So talk."

"Not here," he said. "Let's talk in the hallway."

My eyes didn't leave Annabeth's face until Nico closed the door softly. "What do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Your decision," he answered. "You said you are to stay away from Annabeth but I think you need to rethink that."

"I'm not," I said. "Not anymore." Nico crossed his arms in front of his chest, urging me to go on. "I know that with this thing that I do, I don't deserve even her attention but . . . but it's too hard, keeping myself away from her. It's too tiring. And it hurts."

"I know. I can see it," he said. "I told you that you don't need to. But what I just learned put a whole new twist in this situation."

"That's putting it lightly," I said.

"You need to quit," he told me.

I heaved a sigh. "I told you, Nico, it's not that easy."

"Why not?" he challenged. "From what I can see, you have enough to support yourself and your brother and if not, you can always find a new job."

"You don't understand," I said tiredly.

"Then make me," he said. "I just found out that one of my friends his selling his body, while he's clearly in love with my other friend. I know they both want to be together and this stupid guy changes his mind from time to time. It drives me crazy that I can't even see the bigger picture."

"I'm involved with some dangerous people!" I hissed at him. "Did you really think I would do something like this if it was my choice? It isn't just for the money but because I need to keep everyone that I care about safe."

"W-what does that mean?" he asked.

I debated whether I should tell him. Nico was already in the line of fire and telling him everything would further endanger him. On the other hand, though, I knew Gaea and Kronos already knew about him and Annabeth. I believed it would be better if Nico knew what they were capable of. He had to be well-aware of the threat, of the axe hanging above all of our heads.

"There's an organization running this thing," I began. "One of them found me when I badly needed the money and opened up a door for me to support myself and my brother, so that we won't have to live on the streets anymore." My knees suddenly turned weak and I had to sit down. Nico sat down beside me. "I thought I could stay with them for some time. Save money, you know? And then when I have enough, I would quit. But I can't. If I do, they're going to kill everyone around me." I choked on my words, remembering the one person they'd taken from me. "They already killed someone important to me and I'm not gonna let that happen again." I paused and ran my hand down my face. "I hate myself, Nico. Every customer I service, the more I despise the person I see in the mirror. Annabeth, though, she's . . . she's everything good this twisted world can offer and I'm scared that I will just ruin her but at the same time, I can't stay away from her. Not anymore."

"Wow," Nico breathed after a moment. "You really are in some deep shit, huh? I'm sorry I can't really tell you what to do. You have to figure this out."

"I know," I agreed. "I do recognize being with her puts Annabeth in danger but so is leaving her. I guess I just have to do what's necessary now and let the chips burn and fall where they may." I stood up and worked a knot on my shoulder. "I need to go back in there. I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Okay," said Nico, standing up. "We're not done talking, so I'm looking forward to that." I was about to turn the knob when he spoke again. "What's your rate?" he asked.

I frowned. "What?"

"How much is one night?" he asked, his lips twitching.

I rolled my eyes. "I'll kill you tomorrow for that, you know that, right?"

"Whatever," he said.

I shook my head and went back inside the room.

o.O.o

Something warm against my palm woke me up.

I opened my eyes and saw Annabeth holding my hand against her face. She had her eyes closed pressing my hand against her cheek. I ran my thumb softly on her bruise and she opened her eyes. "Hey," I greeted.

"Hi," she said back. "You stayed."

"I did, didn't I?" I replied, massaging my stiff neck. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," she replied a little too quickly.

"Even with this?" I asked, running my fingers at the side of her face. Annabeth noticeably shivered and I pulled my hand back.

"Yeah," she told me. "Because you're here." I smiled but my heart constricted in pain. "Will you sit close to me?" she requested.

"Of course," I told her. I stood up from the chair where I slept on and transferred to her side.

Annabeth curled against me. "Is this okay?" she asked, looking up at me.

"Do whatever you want," I told her.

"I need to know if it's okay."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to do something that will ruin what we have," she reasoned.

"Nothing you do will ruin this," I said. "Only I will. And I'm afraid I already have."

"Please don't say that," she whispered.

"It's true," I said. "There are so many things I want to tell you, Annabeth. So many secrets I want you to know but I can't risk losing you."

She drew herself up to lean her head against the headboard. She took my face between her hands. "I told you that nothing you say will turn me against you."

"Believe me, this one will," I said with a final tone. "Now I think we need to discuss what happened last night."

Annabeth rubbed her hands on her arms, goosebumps on her flesh. "I-I can't."

"I understand," I said. "I won't force you if you're not yet ready. Will you at least tell me why? Why did they do that?"

Annabeth bit her lip as her hands shook. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her to me. "I - it was stupid," she began. "I kicked a stone and it hit their car so they chased me and . . . "

She was starting to have another panic attack and I felt bad for asking her. "It's okay," I whispered. "You can stop now." But Annabeth was deaf to my words. She was still shaking and was starting to cry. I was also on the verge of panic myself but I swallowed it down. I grabbed her face. "You can slap me later for this," I said. I pressed my lips against her, effectively cutting her breathing.

I've heard that the quickest way for one to stop a panic attack is by holding your breath. Looking at Annabeth, I knew it was pointless to tell her to do so, which lead me to the one thing that popped into my head to help her.

I knew she was better when she started kissing me back. I tried to pull away but she didn't let me. She deepened the kiss, straddling me. Her hand hiked the edge of my shirt up and I shuddered as her palm ran against the bare skin of my stomach. I would've lost it if not for the years I learned how to control myself.

"Annabeth," I whispered between our mouths.

"Please, Percy," she said, nibbling on my lower lip. "I almost lost it last night and I don't want to lose it to someone undeserving. Please."

"No," I said, with finality, lifting her off of my lap. "I'm not saying that I don't want to because believe me, I do. I just don't want it now. You're emotional. I'm not gonna take advantage of that."

Annabeth sighed but nodded. "I get it. Can I have one more kiss, though?"

"Okay," I answered, once again pressing my lips against her.

We would've kept kissing if not for someone clearing her throat. Annabeth and I broke apart to see Thalia looking down at us. "Hey, guys," she said.

"Me panicked," Annabeth explained. She then shook her head. "I-I mean I p-panicked so we kissed to calm me down."

Thalia gave me a disapproving look. "Come downstairs when you're ready. Piper and Hazel cooked breakfast." She left after that.

I stood up, extending my hand to Annabeth. "Come on," I said. "Ready for some breakfast?"

She stood up and kissed me again. "Now I am," she said, exiting the room.

Piles of sandwiches were on the table with cups of chocolate. Everyone was there, already eating. Annabeth sat down beside Nico. I was about do take the seat next to her when my phone chimed.

I fished it out of my pocket and accessed the newest message. My hand went cold.

**_From: Gaea_**

_My house. ASAP._

I stared at the screen, fully aware why Gaea was summoning me. This message confirmed that those men didn't attack Annabeth because the hit their car with a stone but because Gaea ordered them to. And she wanted to see me because I interfered . . .

"Are you okay?" Annabeth asked.

"What?" I asked, looking around.

"Are you okay?" Annabeth repeated.

I noticed my hand was shaking. I quickly shoved it in my pocket, hiding my phone and my hands. "Yeah," I answered. "I'm totally fine. I just need to go."

Her face fell. "Oh. Go where?"

"Just somewhere," I answered vaguely. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay."

o.O.o

When Gaea said her house, she didn't mean her house, exactly. She meant a rental house she was in. When I was in my car, I received the address where I should go.

I drove, knowing that there was no way I would get out of her summon. I didn't dare think about what was going to happen. If I did, I would've crashed my car and killed myself. Death would be better, anyway. Even hell would be a sweet relief from my life.

A car was parked outside of Gaea's rented house. I parked mine in front of it and got out, entering even without any invitation. I didn't need one. There were three men in black suit standing in the hallway. They frisked me and made sure I didn't have anything on me to hurt their leader. When satisfied, they let me in.

Gaea was in the kitchen, busy preparing lunch. She hadn't changed much from the last time I saw her. Her brown hair was still cut short, reaching just below her jaw. She had a matching set of pearl earrings and necklace on. She was wearing a red dress that complimented her figure. She might be fifty but she didn't look a day older than thirty-five.

She looked up and saw me, her face breaking into a smile. She might look like a very kind woman, but I know the demon hiding beneath her mask.

"Percy!" she greeted, giving me a long, deep kiss on the lips. "It's been almost a year since the last time I saw you."

"What am I doing here, Gaea?" I asked.

She tilted her head to lick my earlobe. "What do you think?" she asked me.

I forced myself to stop the gooseflesh from running down my arms. She took my arm and lead me to the kitchen where a lunch for two had been set up. She made me sit down and placed a napkin on my lap, tapping my crotch a couple of times.

I, however, was in no mood to play her game. "Let's just get this over with," I said, standing up.

A flash of insane anger crossed her eyes. In one swift movement, she grabbed a fork on the table and stabbed my hand with it. She had put force enough into it that the utensil went straight through my hand and buried its points in the table. Pain shot up through my whole arm.

"That is not very nice, Percy," she murmured in my ear. I was trying not to groan in pain. "I prepared this for you. You should eat."

How was I to eat when one of my hands was stuck on the table? I wanted to ask her. I bit back some comment and sat down. In front of me was chicken teriyaki laid on a bed of brown rice. Gaea handed me extra utensil and urged me to eat. I glared at her but obeyed, making a big show of eating.

When I was done, Gaea took my plate and sat on my lap. She stared kissing my neck. "You know I hate hurting you, my sweet boy," she whispered against my skin. "But I feel the need to sometimes remind you who you are." She stood up and looked sadly at my hand. "Look what you made me do," she tsked. She grabbed the handle of the fork and jerked it up, pulling it out of my hand. She then took it and licked the blood off of my palm. I felt sick to my stomach but didn't say anything.

When most of the blood was gone, she took something from her bag and came with a clear tube filled with green paste. She squeezed some on her forefinger and applied it on my wound. Whatever concoction it was seemed to increase the pain by ten folds. Once satisfied that it had been coated evenly, Gaea recapped the tube and tossed it back to her bag. She sat down beside me.

"Now, I believe we have some urgent matter to discuss," she said.

I took my hanky from my pocket and wrapped it around my hand. "What matter?" I asked.

Gaea didn't beat around the bush. "Annabeth," she said. "She's taking you away from me." Her voice trembled. "I don't like her for you. She will just hurt you."

"No, she won't."

"Do you really believe she's going to accept you when she finds out who you are?" she challenged.

"You made me like this!"

She slapped me, hard. "Do not raise your voice at me! Yes, I made you like this. I took in a battered boy and helped him. Don't you remember what your life was like before I found you? Half-dead from starvation, living on the streets and abused. I took you in and nurtured you. I saved Tyson from death and gave you a home. I gave you your life back and gave you a second chance! I turned you into the intelligent and strong man you are right now. I gave you the chance to look down at the people who stepped on you. I taught you everything you know. I looked after you when no one else would. Have you forgotten that?"

I couldn't argue with her. She was right. Everything she said was correct. She also turned me into killer. She made me into a sex object to be used by others. An object not allowed to feel.

"And now she's taking my boy away from her," she said, caressing my cheek. "She needs to be taken out of the picture."

I started to panic. "No," I said. "She's not taking me away."

"Do not try to fool me," she said. "The last time someone like her came into your life, I almost lost you."

I didn't dare think what she meant. If I did, I wouldn't be able to accomplish what I came here to do. Gaea said she gave me everything? Then I would use what she taught me against her.

I grabbed her and pushed her against the wall. Gaea wrapped her legs around my waist as I nipped the skin of her neck. "What if I promise you that I'm not gonna leave, that nothing's gonna change, will you leave Annabeth alone?"

"O-of course," she panted.

I ripped the top of her dress open, unsurprised by her lack of undergarments. I knew I had to pleasure her to make her agree. I licked my way down to her breast and took a nipple in my mouth, biting lightly. Gaea gasped above me. "Give me your word," I instructed.

Gaea jumped off of me, slamming me on the table. The plates were all knocked to the floor, shattering. She climbed on top of me after removing the rest of her clothes. I sat up but she grabbed my neck and slammed the back of my head against the table. I think I blacked out briefly, when I came again, Gaea was holding a porcelain shard on her hand, its tip pressed against my throat.

"I do not take orders," she said. "If you are promising not to leave us, then I will give you my word, but not before I have my fun." Instead of ripping my clothes the way I did hers, Gaea cut my clothes off of me, intentionally grazing my skin with the sharp edge of the broken plate. Once I was completely naked, she started grinding her bare skin against mine.

She reached beneath her and kneaded me into a full arousal. When satisfied, she lifted herself a bit and made me enter her. Once I was fully seated, she sighed and laid down on top of me, rolling her hips. She was moaning in pleasure, but not me.

I didn't feel anything.

"Satisfy me and you can have my word," she said, sitting back up. I took hold of her waist and was about to start when she stopped me. "Not yet, lover. Boys!"

The men who were guarding the door came in, holding papers on their hands. They were unfazed by what they saw. They all nodded and started taping the papers they were holding on the cupboard. I didn't understand what they were doing until they stepped away. Those papers were pictures.

Annabeth's pictures.

"I want you to have sex with me, with another woman, while staring at the face of the one you love," she said.

Gaea was evil. It was bad enough that she made me sleep with women while I felt something for someone. Now she wanted me to pleasure her while seeing Annabeth's photos. She didn't make me hate her - no, she's crueler than that - she made me despise myself more.

"And, oh, you will receive a beating for meddling with my actions," she said, nodding to her lackeys. "Not his face," she instructed, placing her hands on my chest. "You can't go soft, understand?"

The men approached the table. One punched me hard on the stomach. They took turns punching and cutting while Gaea rode me. It was impossible to focus and keep myself available for her but I didn't have a choice. I just pictured her face – the reason why I was doing it – to do whatever Gaea wanted. Each hit almost made me lose my concentration. Each movement from Gaea was like a stab in the heart, knowing that I was betraying Annabeth.

I closed my eyes and received my punishment and pay the price of her safety.

**ANNABETH**

"How are you, Annabeth?" asked Piper.

"Good, I think," I said. I wasn't really sure how I was doing. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still see their faces leering at me. "Thank Percy for staying."

"What's going on with you two?" she asked. "Are two, like, together?"

"I believe so, yes," I said. Thalia was shaking her head. "What?" I asked her.

"Nothing," she said. I gave her a look. Thalia knew better than that. "I just think that Percy is the reason why this all happened."

"Why would you even think that?"

"Remember what your life was like before he came along? It was quiet. Nothing like this happens and then the moment you got curious about him, it went downhill," she said.

I shook my head. Thalia could really be paranoid sometimes. "Yes, indeed, my life was quiet, but I was also miserable. You were the one who told me I was too serious, that I should get in trouble, too, so I could learn, well here I am."

"When I said trouble I meant detention and being grounded by your father for going over your curfew, not almost being raped and beaten within an inch of your life," she argued.

"And you seriously think it's because of Percy?" I challenged. "That could've happened to anyone. If it wasn't for him and Nico, we wouldn't even have this conversation right now."

"Hey, don't lay the hate on me," she said defensively. "I'm just saying your boyfriend's shady."

"You don't even know him!"

"And you do?" she asked.

I opened my mouth to answer but found I had none to give her. I do know about Percy's past - or at least part of it - but what about his present. What did he do for a living, allowing him to live the life he had? Where was he the thirteen years he was gone? Truth was, I didn't know.

Thalia sat beside me. "I'm not against your relationship with him, Annabeth. Believe me, I'm happy for you. We all know that you have wanted to be with him for long and now you are. I'm being the devil's advocate here and voice out the things no one dared to." She then hugged me. "Don't be mad at me."

I exhaled and hugged her back. "I'm not. I understand."

Nico came down the stairs from his room, whistling. Frank, Leo and Jason also had returned from the grocery from buying our dinner. Jason had an envelope on his hand, which he handed to Nico. "This was on your doorstep," he said.

Nico raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know the mailman delivers at this time of day," he murmured, ripping the envelope open. Inside was a piece of paper. I noticed him getting confused. He looked up and the question he asked had me worried. "Where's Percy?" he asked.

"He went out earlier this morning, why?" I told him.

He grabbed his jacket. "I need to talk to him."

I automatically shot up from where I was seated and took hold of his arm. "What is it, Nico?"

His expression was pained. "I-I can't tell you."

"Are you serious?!" I demanded. "I'm his girlfriend. If he's in trouble, I have a right to know."

"He's not in trouble," he said quickly. "I just need to talk to him."

I looked at him. Nico probably was the most secretive of all of us. If he doesn't want to tell anyone about something, he won't. I eyed the paper clutched on his hand. He saw me looking and before I could lunge, he threw it at sink, which was still filled with water. I went to it to see if I would still be able read the message bit the ink had already been dissolved. "What'd you do that for?!" I demanded.

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you anything," he said again. "If you want, you can come with me and talk to Percy. See if he'll you anything."

"Fine," I muttered, following him to the door.

"Was it so wrong for me to say what I said?" I heard Thalia ask behind us.

Percy's Maserati was parked in front of his house, which meant he was home. "If he's here, why hasn't he called me?" I wondered. It had been more than eight hours since Percy left with a promise of a phone call but so far, I received none. Not even a text message.

I didn't want to be the stalker, clingy type of girlfriend and I wouldn't even have thought about the lack of phone call if not for the reaction Nico showed. It was impossible not to get worried.

I knocked on the door and waited for a response. I received none. I tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. Nico and I exchanged looks as we went inside.

"Percy?" I called. No answer. I could here water running from upstairs, at the general direction of his room. "He's in the shower," I told Nico. I sat down and Nico did the same. I looked at him. "Nico, please tell me what you know."

He sighed. "I made a promise not to," he said. "Look, why don't we just wait for Percy to finish showering and you can ask him yourself."

"Fine," I grumbled. I grabbed the remote control and turned the television on.

Thirty minutes had passed and the shower was still running. It was close to forty-five minutes when I decided to go upstairs. "I'm going to check on him," I told Nico.

I climbed the stairs and went straight to his room. I was right. He was there, showering. I knocked on the door. "Percy!" I called. He answered me with a moan. Despite the heat on my face, I still rolled my eyes. "Quit pleasuring yourself and get out of here."

This time, he didn't answer. There was a thud and a groan from the inside. I was starting to get worried. Even with the thought that I might be barging in on my boyfriend's private time, I thought that I still had to check on him.

The doorknob twisted when I tried it, which surprised me, but not more than the wall of steam that greeted me. I squinted through the fog to see where he was. I expected some awkward and embarrassing site. What I saw, though, made my heart drop to my stomach.

"Percy!"

o.O.o

**[Next - Chapter 12: SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT]**


	12. Chapter 12: Smells Like Teen Spirit

_**A/N: **__Hi, guys! This story is making great progress and I want to thank all of you for the reviews that you have been providing me. They really help in letting me better my writing. :D_

**_AncientTide:_** _That was a very hard part to write, because . . . well, um . . . *whisper* I have a crush on Annabeth. (Shh! Don't tell anyone!)_

**_CupCakeQueen57:_** _What can I say? It's a gift to frustrate others. :D_

**_percabethluva639:_** _That is answered in this chapter. :D_

_NIRAVANA! Whoo!_

_**Warning:**__ Suggestive comments. *grins*_

_DON'T JUST READ, LEAVE A REVIEW!_

o.O.o

**DEMONS**

Chapter 12: SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT

ANNABETH

"Percy!"

I surged forward and turned the shower off. Percy was curled to a ball at the edge of his bathtub, the scalding water hitting his back. His skin was covered in angry red burns from the too hot water he'd been showering with. I knelt down beside him and touched his arm. He flinched and crawled away from me.

"Percy it's me," I said, climbing into the bathtub with him.

He slowly looked up and stared at me with unfocused eyes. "Mom?" he called.

I frowned. "No, it's Annabeth."

He didn't seem to hear me. He uncurled himself and hugged me around the waist, his face on my stomach. "Oh, Mom. Thank you for coming."

"It's not your Mom, Percy," I said as I tried to disentangle him from me to get a good look on his face. "It's Annabeth, remember me?"

"No, no, no," he chanted. "No, Mom. Please. Please don't leave me again. Please stay." Tears were falling from his eyes. He looked like a child, a boy and not the man he really was. I was starting to panic. What could've caused him to act like this? What could've triggered this kind of breakdown? "Please," he pleaded again.

The quiver in his voice - the fear, the relief - completely disarmed me and I decided to just play along. "Of course not, baby," I whispered as I ran my fingers through the tangled locks that was his hair. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here."

"Thank you, Mom," he sobbed against the fabric of my shirt.

"You've got to stand up, though," I told him. "What were you thinking, anyway? The water was too hot!"

He frowned at me. "Hot?"

"Yes," I said. "Didn't you feel it?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I don't feel anything." My fear climbed a notch. The burns on his skin must've hurt a lot and for him to not feel it, something must be terribly, terribly wrong. "I-it was just so cold. And I-I didn't want to be cold," he added.

"You're not going to be cold,", I said firmly. "Not while I'm here."

I rubbed his arms and the back of his head, trying to relieve the low temperature he was feeling. As my hands touched his skin further, I started to understand what was happening. The hot water must've concealed it, or maybe I was just too worried that I didn't notice it, but he was burning with fever. His eyes were red and his lips were blue, trembling.

I knew I had to get him out of the bathroom and dry him but myself carrying someone as big as Percy? No. I leaned back and called, "Nico!" Percy flinched at the sound of my raised voice. I tightened my hold on him. "Shh," I whispered soothingly. "It's okay."

"Annabeth?" I heard Nico calling. "Where are you?"

"In here!" Nico's head stuck in from the door, checking if I was in the room. "Hurry up, will you?"

He entered and went straight to the bathroom where we were. His eyes widened as he saw us. Nico slapped a hand over his eyes. "Um!" he exclaimed. "You know I'm happy that you guys are together but I don't really like being a third party -"

"It's not like that!"

He peeked between his fingers. "You want me to be a cameraman?"

"No, you dolt! Stop being so childish and get your butt in here; something's wrong," I explained.

Nico hesitantly stepped inside. "What's going on?"

"He's burning up," I said. "We need to get him out of here and put him in some clothes."

Nico shifted on his foot uncomfortably. "He's naked?"

Despite the situation, I could fell heat rising to my cheeks, knowing very well what I was about to see. I shook my head. _Get your thoughts straight_, I said to myself. "Don't act so innocent. It's not like he has something you haven't seen before."

"Yeah," Nico agreed. "But that's Percy."

"Oh, shut up," I scolded. I looked down at Percy. "Can you stand up?" I asked him. He nodded. "Nico help me," I said, taking hold of his arm. Nico took hold of the other and together we were able bring him upright. As soon as my eyes landed on his bare body, words left me.

"What the fuck happened to you, Percy?" Nico demanded, his eyes wide in shock.

He still managed to get some words out while I was out of it. Percy's torso was decorated with eclectic patterns of bruises and cuts. Some were still bleeding and judging from the reddish-purplish-blackish color of the swelling, they were very fresh, which meant he received them between leaving Nico's house and me founding him.

Nico was still looking at me, asking for an explanation. "I-I-I don't know," I stammered, struggling to get the words out. "Let's just get him out of here first."

With Nico's help, I was able to bring Percy back in his room. I made him sit at the edge of his bed and grabbed a towel. "Nico, find him something to wear," I instructed, towelling Percy's hair dry. I wiped his face then his torso, his arms. I made him stand up so I could also dry his lower half. I could feel myself heating up as I got my first look of a fully-naked man. Even with the injuries, he was a sight to behold. I closed my eyes, unwilling to let his naked form incite desire in me. It was difficult, the situation aside, I was still a woman and Percy was an Adonis in front of me.

Nico came back, a pair of boxers shorts and shirt on hand. "Here," he said, handing me the clothes.

"Put the shorts on him," I instructed.

He looked at me like I was crazy. "Are you nuts?" he asked. "He-he's the first guy I've seen completely naked and let me just tell you that it's very, very awkward for me."

"You're a guy and you're uncomfortable, how do you think it is for me?" I asked. "Come on, Nico. He's shivering."

Nico grumbled something under his breath but went ahead and helped Percy put on the shorts. He was very red on the face when he straightened. Percy sat back on his bed while I went back to wiping him dry. "Um," Nico mumbled, raising his hand. "Do you know if Percy's half-donkey?"

My face turned as red as his. "Shut up, Nico," I told him. "Now I need you to go to a drugstore and get me some pills."

"I hardly think a dude buying pills is not suspicious," he replied, rolling his eyes.

I smacked his head. "I mean pain killers, fever medicine and also ointment for burns," I told him. "Go now and hurry. Also see of you can get us some food; I'll be staying the night."

"I'll be getting dinner for two," he said. "I'm staying, too. We'll look after him."

"Thank you." Nico left and I knelt in front of Percy, rubbing his hands. "How are you feeling? Can you tell me what hurts?"

"E-everything," he said. "My back, my body . . . but this hurts the most," he said. He took my hand and placed it on his chest. His skin was warm, warmer than normal, and the heat sent jolts of electricity throughout my body. "It hurts, Mom. It hurts so much."

I was speechless as Percy started crying again. It was a heart-wrenching sight. It occurred to me how hard his life had been. To grow up without both his parents and not having the chance to enjoy his childhood - it was terrible and not something someone deserves to go through. In that moment, he was no more than a child thirsting for parental guidance and support and love. I couldn't provide everything but I swore I would give him everything I could.

I drew him into a hug and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, Percy," I whispered. I placed a kiss on his temple and whispered comforting words to his ear. "It's going to be okay. You're fine. You have nothing to worry about."

"No," he sobbed as he clung tighter to me. "Nothing's gonna be okay. They will make sure that I won't ever be happy."

I frowned. "They? Who are they?"

He shook his head. "I-I can't tell you. I don't want you to be in danger."

Danger. Percy had always talked about not wanting to put me in danger. At first I'd assumed that it was from him, because he was a dangerous person. That was in the beginning. As our friendship progressed, I started to realize that there was something else entirely. I just wasn't very sure how. I had theories, the one least likely than the previous. But now, Percy was saying _they_ would put me in danger if he told me something.

I broke our hug and took his face on my hands. "Percy, tell me what you mean. Please."

He was starting to panic, that much I could see. "No! I can't tell you anything. I won't be able to stand myself if anything happens to you."

"Nothing will," I insisted. "If you tell me, I can protect you."

"You can't," he answered, his voice shaking. "No one can protect me. There's no escaping this. I deserve this." He reached a trembling hand to caress my face. "But you don't. Neither did Reyna, nor Annabeth. I'd already lost Reyna because I brought her into my life. I'm not a good person, Mom; I killed her."

"I'm sure it was her choice to stay with you, like it is mine to keep you safe. Whatever happens will always be our choice. Please, let me help."

"You don't understand," he said, drawing away from me to curl into a ball in the middle of his bed. "That's what you want but what about what I want, Mom? I want you to be safe. I want you away from all these." Percy buried his face on his arms and sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I'm sorry for everything I've done. I'm a bad person and I deserve everything coming my way. I'm sorry for disappointing you."

My cheeks were wet from the tears running down my face. I sat beside him and made him cuddle against my side. I did so because I knew he was cold and I couldn't exactly put on a shirt on him because of the burns on his back. "You're not a disappointment," I soothed him. "You looked gave up your childhood to look out for your brother. You take care of the family you have and assumed responsibility at this age. You have grown up to be the man I want you to be. I'm proud of you."

"Please don't say that," he whispered. "You don't know anything, Mom. You will hate me. You will disown me if ever you know. I don't deserve to be loved."

"Don't talk that way," I said, wiping my own eyes dry. "Everyone deserves love, Percy. You certainly do after everything you've been through. Please, please just talk to me."

"No, no. I can't. I can't. I'm so sorry." His breathing was noisier as he sobbed. "Please don't make me, Mom. I-I c-can't. Please.

I pressed my lips against his ear. "Shh. It's okay. You don't have to." I brushed the strand of matted hair away from his face to look into his eyes. I felt how hot he was becoming. How high his fever was. "God, you're burning up." I jumped to my feet and Percy looked at me with a horrified expression. "I'm not leaving," I said quickly. "I'm just getting a water basin and some washcloth. Do you need anything?"

"Just you," he said softly. "Come back. And please don't tell Annabeth. I don't want her to see me like this."

_The thing is I'm seeing you like this and it's killing me, _I thought.

"I'll be right back," I said.

I went down to his kitchen and found a small basin. Clean dishtowels were in a drawer beneath his sink. I filled the basin with water and sunk the cloth in it. I opened his fridge and took a few pieces of ice cubes and tossed it into the water. That should help in lowering his temperature.

I climbed the stairs and went back to his room. Percy was in the same position I left him in. I placed the basin on his bedside table and touched his arm. He flinched but relaxed when he saw it was me.

"Hey. I need you to lie down, but not on your back," I instructed him. "I don't want you hurting your burns." He nodded and crawled back to lay on his side on his bed. I placed an extra pillow under his head. After that, I took the cloth from the basin, flinching a bit at the cold. I squeezed it to remove the excess water then placed it on Percy's forehead. He shivered as the cool cloth touched his skin. I was stuck on a predicament. I knew I had to lower his temperature but Percy was still feeling very much cold and I couldn't exactly put on a shirt on him without hurting him. I took his blanket and placed it over him, making sure his back was not touched. Then I sat beside him and took his hands between mine, trying to rub some warmth into it.

That's when I noticed something weird. The back of his left hand had three small red wounds next to each other. I didn't think it was an animal bite because, seriously, what kind of animal had three fangs? A fork, perhaps? I quickly dismissed the thought. I didn't think Percy was clumsy enough to actually stab himself. But there were the injuries on his body, which were clearly inflicted on him by someone. Could that mean that whoever hurt him also gave him the wound?

Slowly, I lifted the blanket and took in the sight of his wounded body. His left shoulder was badly bruised; the cuts he had were irregular, like those were made by something with serrated edge. The longest one ran from his clavicle down to the upper part of his navel. There were some dents along his ribcage, along with burn marks.

I could feel my eyes getting hot as I took in the site of my hurt boyfriend. I could feel the pain he was in. It wasn't a stabbing type of hurt, more like a clenching in my chest, cutting the supply of oxygen. This pain had a domino effect - from the lack of air to my vision blurring to my muscles growing very weak. It spread until it was my entire body that could feel it.

My hands shook. I closed my eyes to calm myself down. Percy's hands around mine squeezed. I chanced a look and saw him staring at me. "We're gonna be okay, Mom," he said, his voice hoarse. "You'll be okay."

"I know, honey," I said as I placed another kiss on his forehead. "We'll be okay."

The door opened and Nico came in. He had his arms and hands full with his purchases. I stood up to help him. He handed me the food on his hand while setting the one from the convenience store aside.

I took a peak and was greeted by the rich scent of cream and seafood. "That's soup for Percy," he told me. "I got us some Chinese food. Hope you don't mind. Will got me addicted to it."

I rolled my eyes at him. I took my former place back and removed the lid of the container. Taking the spoon from the bag, I scooped some and blew on it to cool it down.

"Percy, I need you to sit up and eat," I said to him gently

"It will just come back up," he said.

"Please, you have to try so you can take some medicine," I insisted. "Nico, help him sit up." Nico nodded and took Percy's arm to assist. When he was upright, he leaned back his head against the headboard and closed his eyes. I made sure the soup was cooler and placed the spoon next to Percy's lips. I tilted the utensil and Percy took a sip.

His face scrunched up in disgust. "It tastes awful," he grumbled. He pushed my arm away and laid back.

"Percy, come on," I whispered. "We need to get some food in you."

He opened his eyes and righted himself. Agonizingly slow, I was able to feed him half the soup. It was like fighting a child over his toy so I stopped, knowing he had enough in his system to accommodate the medicine.

I made him take a fever pill and a painkiller to help ease what he was feeling. "Okay. You can lie down, but lie down on your stomach so I can treat your wounds, okay?"

He nodded and plopped down on his bed. I made sure that the blanket was on his lower half. I looked at Nico. "Did you get some burn medicine?"

He nodded and rummaged on the bag that contained his purchases from the drugstore. He came up with a small rounded container. "The lady said this should help with the pain and heal his burns faster," he said, handing me the ointment.

I unscrewed the lid and dipped my middle and forefinger into it. "Percy, I'll be putting something on your back. I'll be as gentle as I can but this might hurt, okay?"

He nodded and buried his face on his pillows. Careful not to touch his skin too much. I made sure that all his wounds were coated. Percy's cries of pain were muffled by his pillows but he didn't make too much movements.

I wiped my fingers and kissed the side of his face. "Go to sleep," I told him softly. "I will be here."

"Thank you, Mom," he said. "Thank you for staying with me." His eyes were already closed and his voice was thick with sleep. "I love you, Mom. I love you so much."

"I love you, Percy," I said back. "Sleep now. I'll watch over you."

A small smile formed on his lips as he fell asleep. His grip on my hand loosened, allowing me to stand up. Nico was eyeing me carefully. "You okay?" he asked. I shook my head. "You still did great, keeping your calm."

I heaved a sigh. "It was all I could do not to bawl my eyes out."

Nico took my hand and squeezed it. "He'll be fine," he told me. "He has us to look after him."

I smiled at him. "Thank you."

He shrugged. "It's no trouble."

"I mean for being his friend," I said. "You're the one he trusts and if you think I shouldn't know about what you know then I'll respect it. I'm just going to have to trust your judgment."

"Thank you," he said. "I hate keeping this from you since this might greatly impact your relationship but I can't go over Percy and just tell you. Let me just tell you this: your boyfriend us going through a very, very rough patch right now and he needs everyone stable in his life."

I glared at him. "You shouldn't have said that," I said under my breath. "Now I'm torn between standing by what I said and making you tell me everything."

"There is something I can tell you, though," he said carefully. "About the message I received earlier. I think we need to talk about it."

I nodded. "Give me a minute," I said. I removed the washcloth from Percy's forehead and changed it with a freshly-soaked one. When sure that he was all good, I straightened out. "Come on," I told Nico.

He grabbed his food bag and followed me downstairs. I transferred the food to clean plates and got utensils from Percy's drawer. Once everything was ready, Nico and I started eating.

"Talk," I said.

Nico sighed and chewed the food in his mouth. After swallowing, he said, "That message I got earlier? It was for Percy. I don't know who it was from but whoever sent it was asking for Percy to meet up at the restaurant where I got our food. I would've dismissed it as someone from our school but - "

"If it's a schoolmate, why deliver the message to your house?" I finished for him. "How did the person know he was at your house? And why not just text or call him? Why deliver it by paper?"

"Exactly," Nico agreed. "You got my point. I guess we can bot agree that whoever sent this message meant to really meet up with him and it's about something important."

"When are they supposed to meet?" I asked.

"Tonight at eleven," he said. He eyed me. "You're not thinking of going, are you?"

The way he said it informed me that he was against it. I couldn't tell him that I was actually planning to. I still didn't have the location of the restaurant. "Of course not," I said. "If it is indeed just someone from our school talking him, I don't want to tell that someone to back off of my boyfriend."

He was still looking. "Good. Let's not forget what almost happened last night. Percy would kill me if I let you out of my sight."

"Do you really think I will leave with Percy's condition?" I lied. "Come on, Nico." He nodded and we fell in silence as we finished eating. "Can you go upstairs and check on Percy? I'll do the dishes."

"Okay," he said.

When he was out of sight, I took the bag that contained our food and searched for the receipt. I was right. The address of the Chinese restaurant was printed beneath the name. I knew Nico was too smart to actually believe I wouldn't go. I didn't have time to doubt myself. Pocketing the paper, I went out and quietly closed the door. I hailed a cab and gave the driver the address.

I knew, based on everything that Percy had told me, that I could be potentially meeting up a psycho. I couldn't just pass on the opportunity, though, to learn more about Percy's life. I thought that if ever this person was crazy, then why meet up on a public place? That didn't make any sense. There were so many unknown variables.

The driver announced that we were at the restaurant. I paid him and went inside. How I meet up with someone I didn't know and wasn't expecting me, I wasn't sure. I searched for an empty booth and sat down. A waitress approached me but I told her I wasn't ready yet to order.

I looked around, searching for someone who looked like he or she was waiting for someone there was no one. I was the sole customer who came in alone.

The telephone rang and the girl who approached me answered it. My phone chimed. I winced as I saw Nico's message: _I WILL KILL YOU._

Is there someone here named Annabeth Chase?" the waitress asked with a heavy Chinese accent. I raised my hand. "Phone for you, miss."

I could feel myself frowning as I made my way to the telephone. I muttered a thanks as I took over. "Hello?"

"Where's Percy?" a man's voice asked. It had a robotic quality, which I wasn't sure if because of poor reception or it really was the person's voice.

"H-he's unavailable," I said. "Who is this? How did you know me?"

"You should've listened to my warning and left Percy alone," the person said.

Realization dawned on me. "You were the one who sent the text," I said. "You told me to stay away from Percy or I'll die. Why? What do you know?"

"War is coming, Annabeth," the person answered. "You don't have much time. Leave now or peril."

"What?" I demanded. The static from the other side told me that the call had been cut. My heart was hammering in my chest as I placed the telephone back into its place. The waitress went to me again, handing me a bag. "Here. I wrapped it up for you."

"I-I didn't - "

"It's been taken care of," she said, smiling at me.

I was about to tell her that I didn't order anything but Nico grabbing my arm stopped me. "Not leaving huh? Not leaving my ass!" He started dragging me towards the exit. "Percy would kill me if he finds out, then Will is going to kill Percy then you will kill Will. Do you even understand what I'm saying?"

I nodded, still stunned from what just happened. Who could that person be? What was with the cryptic message? And what war was that person referring to? The bag the waitress had given me was completely out of my mind.

Looking back at it, I knew it wasn't smart to bring whatever it was in that bag, especially since I didn't know who it was from. But it was a good thing that I did, because it would uncover a dark secret.

o.O.o

A hand brushing against my face woke me up. I opened my eyes and saw Percy looking at me. I had fallen asleep beside him, curled against his side. Nico had given me a very thorough sermon last night for disappearing at him. He was quite fun to watch. He couldn't exactly yell because we had a sick person with us.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Better," he answered simply. I touched his face and was glad to feel that his temperature had gone down. He still had fever but it wasn't as bad as last night. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you."

"You will never be an inconvenience," I told him. "Except when you kept calling me your mom," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

He sighed and kissed my palm. "I'm really sorry," he whispered. "For everything I will never be and all that I am."

"What are you talking about, Percy?" I asked him.

He closed his eyes and a tear trickled down his cheek. "I can't do this to you anymore, Annabeth. You haven't been my girlfriend for more than two days and I have already betrayed you." He kissed the back of my hand and looked at me. "I have to tell you everything," he said. "And if you hate me and don't want to be anywhere near me after this, then so be it. I just can't keep on being this unfair to you."

"Percy, please, you're scaring me."

He gave me a small smile. "You've been asking me about this, Annabeth. Now you're about to find out what kind of person your boyfriend really is."

o.O.o

_**A/N:**__Who's that person? What's in the bag?_

_Sorry, but those won't be revealed in the next few chapters. Instead, Chapter 13 will be all flashback. Percy's story will finally be told._

**[Next - Chapter 13: THIRTEEN YEARS OF SOLITUDE]**


	13. Chapter 13: Thirteen Years of Solitude

**_A/N:_** _Because I had extra free time last week, I was able to finish this chapter faster. Note that this is the longest chapter I've ever written so I'd better receive more reviews! :D_

_Because at this point I'm pressed for time, and won't be able to respond to your reviews, I would like to point out one thing: We do know who Percy is at present, what he does, but what happened that led him to do what he did? What happened when he was younger? That's what is told in this story._

_**Warning: **Child abuse. In multiple ways.  
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o.O.o

**DEMONS**

Chapter 13: THIRTEEN YEARS OF SOLITUDE

**PERCY**

_Twelve years old,_

"Sir, I swear it's not mine," I pleaded to the man on the counter. "My stepfather just told me to buy his beer."

The guy was adamant. "Sorry, kid," he said. "It's illegal. I can't sell alcoholic beverages to minors. You're only ten."

"I'm twelve, genius!" I yelled at him.

"That's it, out!" he screamed at me, pointing to the exit.

I was close to tears now."Please, please, sir," I said. "He'll hit me if I come home without his beer. He won't be happy. Please."

"Yeah, yeah. Like I'm stupid. Like I don't know what you kids are up to these days," he said, clearly still thinking I was buying it for myself. "You're holding the line, kid, so you better get out now before I get someone who won't be as kind as I am to you. Out."

I didn't have a choice. I shoved the money in my pocket and went out of the store, but not before glaring sharply at the cashier.

The cold November air was biting and harsh against my ratty clothes. I could feel myself shivering and I quickened my steps. I was in no hurry to go back to Gabe, knowing what was waiting for me due to my lack of liquor, but I also had no intention of freezing into a Percycicle.

I twisted the doorknob slowly and let myself inside our foster home. We'd been living with Gabe Ugliano since September. He was nice enough the first hour, saying how much he wanted to have his own sons, but showed an exceptional ability of being a world-class jerk who hit Tyson and I when we made even the littlest mistakes.

The house was dimly lit and smelled strongly of cigarette and alcohol. I always had to wash our clothes twice to remove the disgusting smell.

I tiptoed to the stairs, hoping that Gabe was too drunk to notice me. He would forget the entire thing in the morning. If I just stayed quiet enough, then I had nothing to worry about.

In my preoccupation, I completely forgot about Gabe's beer cans lying all over the floor. I stepped on one and a loud crunching sound echoed in the house.

So much for staying quiet.

"Punk," Gabe snarled. "Where's my beer?"

I looked down, unable to meet his eyes. Even when I wouldn't admit it, Gabe scared me to death. He was the worst foster parent Tyson and I'd ever had. And that was saying something. All of the parents who had looked after us for the past eight years knew how to make two orphan children feel unwanted.

"They didn't sell it to me," I whispered. I took a step back, knowing that Gabe's fist would soon connect to me. I silently hoped he wouldn't hit me in the face. The last thing I needed was to get teased at school about being a klutz.

Gabe eyed me. He took a gulp from the can on his hand but didn't make a move. "Why is that?" he asked.

I took a chance and looked at him. "Because I'm underage," I said.

He struck. I only had time to yelp and duck my head, avoiding the bottle he smashed against the wall next to the top of my head. The thing broke into pieces, shards of glass rained down, momentarily blinding me. This prevented me from shielding myself when Gabe punched me in the stomach. I keeled over, wheezing, the broken pieces of glass embedding in my palm.

Gabe grabbed my hair and yanked my head up. "Don't be smart with me, you little piece of shit," he growled at me, his alcohol-scented breath fanning across my face.

"What was I supposed to do?" I demanded.

He answered me by running the sharp edge of the broken bottle against my jaw. The thing cut the skin and I could feel blood running down my neck. "You're a useless bastard. I don't even know why I put up with you," he said, shoving me back. I fell on my butt, trying to ignore the glasses cutting me. "What, you have nothing to say to me?!"

"I-I'm so sorry, Gabe," I croaked as I reached a hand to staunch the flow of blood on my face. "I'm sorry."

"Is that sarcasm I hear, punk?"

I shook my head. "N-no."

"Yeah, I think it is." He punched me in the face, throwing me completely on the floor. I vaguely remembered a song saying about lying on a bed of nails. I wondered, if that was as painful as lying on a bed of glass.

"You're such a wimp," he said, kicking me on the shin. I curled myself into a ball, trying to make myself as small of a target as possible against Gabe's continuous assault. "You fucked up kid. I'd be doing the world a favor by ridding you off of it." He delivered the last blow against the side of my head. Black spots were dancing on the edge of my vision. My whole body had received so many injuries that it started to go numb. "I'm going out. I don't want to look at you loser face," he said.

His boots made crunching sound as he walked away. I let the tears fall as I lay on my side. Was I really that bad for me to go through this? What had I done in my short, miserable life to deserve this?

_Mom, Dad, where are you? Why aren't you protecting us from these monsters?_ I thought.

My consciousness was starting to slip away. I had enough brain cells left functioning that I grabbed the rug under the table and pressed it on the side of my face, trying to stop the flow of blood.

I pictured my parents' face as I slipped into unconsciousness, thankful for the little comfort the darkness brought.

"Percy?" I heard a deep voice call. I groaned as I stretched sore muscles. I sat up and hissed as I felt something sharp digging into my palm. I looked around, momentarily confused where I was. There was dried blood on the floor, along with shards of glass.

Everything came back to me. Gabe beating me last night because of my inability to buy his beer. I worked a knot on my neck and remembered the piece of cloth that was stuck to my face. I removed it slowly, moaning as the skin stuck on the fabric due to dried blood.

"Percy?" my brother called again. He was standing at the counter, looking curiously at me. "Whys is Percy on the floor?" he asked me.

The women who worked for the government explained my brother's condition to me. How his brain didn't mature and work the same way most of us do. I didn't really understand it, only that I had to look after my brother, even when he was eighteen and could've been my guardian.

"N-nothing," I stammered. I slowly stood up, holding myself in the middle as my body protested. I wanted to lay down and just let myself rest but I knew I couldn't. I still had to go to school.

With enormous effort, I was able to bring myself upright. "Just stay there, Ty. I'll clean this up."

I grabbed a broom and a dust pan, starting to sweep the floor of the kitchen. I made sure that not a single piece of glass was left. Tyson liked walking around the house barefoot. I didn't want him to step on one. Once the shards were gone, I took the mop and wiped my dried blood on the floor.

Keeping myself busy had taken my mind off of the fact that with every move, my body screamed in protest and that my vision was still blurry around the edges, most likely due to blood-loss.

"Is Percy okay?" my brother asked me, pointing at the cut on my jaw.

I smiled at him. "I'm fine, Ty. Let me just clean myself up for school."

"Tyson is going with Percy?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Yes," I said. Bullies at school target me because I bring him at school most of the time. They were kids; they didn't really understand how cruel they were being to my brother. But if it's between facing those brats or leaving him here with Gabe, it was no question.

I went inside the bathroom and slowly removed my clothes. I didn't dare look in the full-body mirror that sat against the wall. I didn't want to see the injuries that Gabe had inflicted. That was no use and would just make me feel sorry for myself. I cleaned the grime off of my torso, taking extra care with my side. Then I went to work on my face, wiping the blood off of myself. Once satisfied I looked presentable enough, I put on fresh clothes and my worn out sneakers. That's the only time I risked a glance in the mirror, not because I wanted to but because I needed to see the exact location of the wound so I could place gauze on it.

It ran from the left side of my jaw to halfway near my chin. I knew that it was a wound that would scar. I sighed as I opened the first-aid kit I'd been keeping for myself and taped gauze over it. When done, I grabbed my jacket and put it on, pulling the hood up to hide my face.

Tyson was outside already, practically jumping in excitement. Despite what I felt, I couldn't help but smile. I took his hand, telling him that he shouldn't let go, and went to board a bus. One good thing that came out of my beating: Gabe forgot about the money. At least Tyson and I didn't have to walk to my school.

Meriwether Preparatory School was loud when we arrived. As I expected, the rich kids made fun of me and Tyson the moment we stepped down the bus.

"Aww, look, Jackson's got a boyfriend!" Matt Sloan laughed, pointing at us. His laughter turned into a full-out guffaw when Tyson waved at him.

I glared at Matt as I dragged my brother to my first period. Pre-Algebra, taught my Mrs. Dodds. She might look like an old hag dried from the inside but she was kind enough to let Tyson sit in my class. I lead my brother to the back of the room and sat down.

Class started and I paid attention. Too much attention, I guess, that I didn't notice my brother drawing on my notes. I looked, horrified, as I saw all the lessons I'd written since the start of the school year because I couldn't afford to buy the syllabus disappear beneath a layer of Crayola.

"Tyson!" I yelled, completely forgetting where I was. "What did you do that for?! Do you even understand what this is?! You ruined my notes!"

My brother, whom I'd never raised my voice on, looked at me, terrified. He started sniffling then burst out crying.

I was having a very, very rotten day. First I had to deal with the injuries Gabe had given me, then I had to endure all teasing looks from my classmates and now this? "Will you just shut up?!" I yelled.

He buried his face into his hands then ran out of the room. Instantly, the entire weight of what I'd done settled on me. I felt guilty, hating myself for losing my temper.

I looked at Mrs. Dodds helplessly. She nodded, understanding my question. "Go. I'll cover for you. I will request for photocopies of lessons you need."

"Thank you, Ma'am," I said as I ran after my brother.

I didn't have a hard time finding him. Tyson was unfamiliar with Connecticut - where we were sent to live with Gabe - so he didn't exactly have anywhere to go. I found him sitting on a swing in our school's playground.

He was sobbing, eyes trained on the ground. I knelt in front of him. "Ty?" I called. He didn't look at me. "Ty, please, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of it. Please. I'm sorry."

He looked at me, his eyes red. "Tyson is sorry," he said.

"I know," I said. "I know, Ty. I'm so sorry."

He answered me with a hug. "I love you, Ty."

"Tyson loves Percy," he said.

I broke our hug and grinned at him. "Would you like some ice cream?"

His smile was answer enough.

o.O.o

Life with Gabe went pretty much the same.

The constant beating and argument. Gabe lasted longer than usual. Mostly those who took Tyson and I in didn't last more than a month, not really wanting to deal with us.

We'd been living with Gabe for almost eight months by that point. I didn't really receive severe beatings because I was able to befriend a teenage guy who was old enough to buy beer. He was a clerk at the convenience store and would know what I needed every time I was there.

Not very severe beatings, really, except when Gabe stabbed me on the side.

I was unable to bring Tyson with me to the school that day because I had to go with my classmates to one of their houses to finish our History project. Nancy Bobofit - the owner of the house where we would be going - threatened that if I brought him along, she would castrate me with a spoon.

I didn't think she even understood what that meant for she kept hitting my forehead with a utensil the whole time I was there.

When I came home, Tyson and Gabe were in the middle of a heated argument.

"You're a useless simpleton!" Gabe screamed at my brother. "Why would you even wake me up just to show me this stupid drawing?!"

"Because it's pretty," cried my brother.

"It's disgusting, dumbass!"

I threw my bag on the floor and stood between them. "Hey, don't yell at Tyson!"

"Stay out of this, fucker!"

"No!"

"Shut up," he glared at me, pointing a finger at me. "I will teach this bastard a lesson."

He lunged over me and punched Tyson in the face. My brother fell back, wailing.

"Don't hurt my brother, you bald-headed freak!" Blood pounded in my ears as I launched myself at him. I didn't even know what I was doing until I tasted blood in my mouth. Gabe took a step back, clutching his bleeding ear.

"I will kill you!" he screamed. He grabbed something that was sitting on the table and before I knew it, sharp pain shot on my right side. I stumbled back, the hand that touched my ribcage came away wet and bloody.

I couldn't speak. I knew Gabe hated us, but for him to actually attempt to kill me? Even he looked shocked. If something bad happened to either Tyson and me, he would be in serious trouble. He had gotten away from hurting us because whenever those who work in the foster system visited us, he would threaten to hurt Tyson if I told them anything. Because I didn't want my brother to get hurt, I complied.

He grabbed my arm and Tyson's and dragged us to his car. I didn't know what he was doing, even when he started driving. Light flashed in my eyes as I pressed on my side, trying to slow down the flow of blood.

He brought me to a hospital. Gabe even carried me on his arms and lead Tyson inside the building. For some reason I couldn't speak. I just looked around to the faces of concerned nurses attending to me. I vaguely remembered Gabe telling them that "He's a troubled kid. I came home with him hurting his brother and was playing with a knife. He stabbed himself. It was a good thing I arrived in time, otherwise something serious would've happened." He sniffled, bringing Tyson's face to his chest, effectively muffling my brother's cries of protest.

Once the nurses reassured him that they would help me, he let me go. After that, I was pretty much out of it. The nurse stuck something into my arm and I fell asleep.

I woke up feeling like a sledgehammer had hit my side. I pressed a finger on my ribcage, feeling bandage wrapped around my midsection.

I heard someone standing up from somewhere in my room. I looked up and saw Gabe, glaring at me. "I'm getting you out of here tomorrow," he said. "I don't need the bill to go up."

Here I was, stitched and recovering, and he was worried about the bill? Was he serious?

"Listen, punk," he said.

"I know," I said, cutting him off. "I won't say anything."

He nodded approvingly. "Good."

"But I want something in return." His eyes flashed dangerously. I didn't let that deter me. "Don't ever hurt Tyson again. You can hurt me, but not him. Understood?"

He grinned evilly. "Understood, kid."

That day marked the start of a new "regime" as Gabe called it. Every time he would be frustrated or angry or drunk, he would wait for me to get home and hit me. I didn't fight him because he kept his end of the bargain.

I thought at least we were agreeing on something. Even when I could expect a punch or two every day, I'd still call it a win. Tyson was not getting hurt. Gabe was actually nice to him.

That's what I thought until I came home from school quite late one night. Rain was pouring and I found my brother huddled in the corner of the stairs leading to our house. He was soaked to the bone and was shivering badly.

"Ty," I called to him, kneeling in front of him and brushing the matted hair away from his face. "Why are you here?"

"G-G-Gabe."

I clenched my fist and made my brother stand up. I was smart enough to take the key of the house and have a duplicate copy made. I learned from having to spend an entire night outside the house that Gabe sometimes locked the door whenever he felt like it.

I let us inside and was immediately greeted by a smoking Gabe. Judging from the look on his face, it wasn't just cigarette. I stopped my brother from completely entering the house, wanting to shield my brother for what I knew was about to happen.

"Bastards," he spat as he stood up, fist clenched.

I wasn't going to let him hit either Tyson or I again. He left my brother out in the rain. As far as I was concerned, the deal was voided. I grabbed the first thing my hand touched - Gabe's golf club - and hit him square on the face. I might have been a skinny twelve year-old but the fire of anger in my stomach fueled my force.

There was a crunch and Gabe fell back, nearly unconscious. I made my move and took his wallet from his pocket. I'd had enough. I knew that if Tyson and I stayed, Gabe would kill us in his state.

I took Tyson's hand and we ran in the rain, away from hell that we knew as Gabe Ugliano.

o.O.o

_Thirteen years old,_

"I'm sorry," I murmured as the man wearing suit who was talking on his phone glared at me. He resumed his conversation on his device, shaking his head. He walked away and I headed to the opposite direction, pocketing the man's wallet.

Tyson and I had been living on the streets of Connecticut for three months. I learned to adapt, quickly realizing that the streets were a big warzone. There were certain parts that belonged to gangs, which I had to steer clear off. I found us a place on an alley, putting a tarp over two dumpsters, which served as our house.

I felt bad for stealing, but I didn't have a choice. Especially lately that Tyson's fever wasn't going down. I found a spot and checked the man's wallet. He didn't have much cash, mostly credit cards. Those wouldn't do much good. The government could use it to track us if I ever tried to use it. I knew there's a possibility that there was someone out there looking for us. That was if Gabe told those women in charge of us. I was thinking that Gabe didn't report us missing, otherwise he would be in serious trouble.

I took the cash and tossed the man's wallet in the trash can. The man's money were enough to only get three muffins and a cup of coffee. I wasn't a fan of it but I needed something to warm my brother up.

Tyson was still lying on his side, the plastic garbage bag I'd thrown over him still in place. I roused him and showed him the food. "Here, eat some," I said, handing him the bag.

Tyson's lips were blue and his eyes were bloodshot as he took a peak in the bag. He took one, but instead of eating it, he shoved it under my nose. "Happy birthday, Percy," he said.

I stared at my brother. I didn't even know that it was my birthday. I was a teenager now. Maybe that would let me get a job so I could provide for us.

I took the muffin. "Thank you," I said. I started nibbling on the edge of the muffin and I watched as my brother did the same.

We fell asleep next to each other after inhaling the muffins. I had half of a muffin while the remaining was eaten by Tyson. It was cold, but Tyson's warmth provided some relief.

I was awaken later that night as raindrops hit my face. I shot to my feet and rearranged the tarp to deflect most of the rainwater away from my brother. My stomach was still rumbling. The pastry I ate did nothing to satisfy my hunger. After all, it was the first food I'd eaten in forty-eight hours.

I made sure that my brother wasn't getting wet. Once certain, I left. I wanted to find more food for myself and my brother, and perhaps some medicine, too.

I had no clue that what I was about to get into would throw me into the claws of the devil.

o.O.o

The rain kept on pouring heavily, its icy fingers running down my back, drenching my already soaked clothes. I hugged my torn jacket closer to my body. I just hoped that the tarp I placed over Tyson would hold and that he wouldn't get wet. If he did, I knew his fever would only get worst.

The soup I managed to salvage from the Chinese restaurant was still warm against my ribs. The owner caught me when I sneaked inside and grabbed the bowl. She chased me and threw a fork at me, screaming. It was okay. I didn't understand any of the foreign language.

The sound of a car pulling over made me stop. I looked up in fear, sure that the restaurant owner had found me and would send me to jail. Instead a woman of about mid-forties got out of the car with an umbrella and a kind face. She squinted through the heavy rain to look at me. "Sweetie, why are you walking in the rain?" she asked. I didn't answer but hugged myself tighter. "Are you heading home?" she asked. I nodded. "Come on, then. Let me drive you. This is no time for a child to walk alone in the rain." While she was saying this, the woman steered me to the passenger side of her car. She opened the door and, after a moment's hesitation, I climbed in.

The woman circled her vehicle and jumped back in the driver's side, tossing her umbrella at the back of her car. She looked at me and saw me shivering. She gave me a kind smile and turned on the heater. I sighed gratefully as I felt warmth seeping through my wet clothes.

She reached at the back seat and grabbed something and before I knew it, she was toweling my hair dry. I flinched, squeezing myself against the door. My brother was the only one who made physical contact with me that didn't result to a bruise or an injury. She seemed shocked with my reaction and handed me the towel. "Here, dry yourself."

After making sure that the bowl of soup was secured, I took the piece of cloth and started toweling myself dry. The woman started the car and asked me where my address was. I gave her a fake one. How are you to give an address if you're living on a dark alley?

"Are your parents waiting for you?" she asked.

"Yeah," I lied. I didn't want to tell her that my father died when I was one and my mother when I was four. I certainly wasn't going to tell her that my brother and I ran from our foster home because we were being physically abused.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" she asked.

"Percy, Ma'am," I answered.

She chuckled. "Oh, please, Percy, call me Gaea."

I looked at her, unsure whether she was kidding or what. She seemed serious. "Gaea? Like the Earth Mother? That's your real name?" I wondered.

Her smile widened, seeing that she piqued my attention. "Not my real name, but it's one that I like to be called by," she told me.

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I don't know." Gaea looked at me like she was seizing me up. "How old are you, Percy?" she asked.

"Thirteen," I answered truthfully. I just turned thirteen today.

"A teenager already, huh? That's good."

"Why is it good?" I asked her.

"Nothing," she answered, looking at me again. "You're a very handsome young man, Percy, has anybody ever told you that?"

I knew she was messing with me. I was skinny from having next to nothing to eat, wearing baggy and ratty clothes. I had a scar on my left jaw from where Gabe cut me and she was calling me handsome? Adults do lie all the time. "I'm not, Ma'am," I said.

Gaea tsked. "Oh yes, you are, Percy. Very, very much." I shivered as I felt the car slowing down as she looked at me again. "Are you cold, Percy?"

"Yes," I answered.

Her right hand reached to me and squeezed my thigh. I started to feel uncomfortable. "Then let me warm you up," she said, her voice sultry.

I tried to back away but was met by the car door. "Um, Ma'am, thank you for the ride. I-I'll get off here," I stammered as my hand fumbled to open the door. It was locked. Her hand hiked up to my stomach, a finger running against the inch of skin exposed there. "I-I don't like this, Ma'am. P-please stop."

Gaea just smiled. "Oh, sweetie, I told you to call me Gaea," she said, her hand now on my crotch, squeezing.

I started banging on the window, hoping that someone would hear me but no one was around. In my preoccupation with her name, Gaea had driven us to a deserted part of the city. A scream fought its way to my throat as she started to lower the zipper of my worn out pants. She straddled me and latched her mouth to the side of my neck, sucking, biting.

"M-ma'am, please. Please stop. P-please just let me go. Please," I pleaded but she was deaf to my cries. Her teeth broke the skin of my collarbone and I groaned with the foreign sensation that suddenly filled me. Gaea's hand squeezed itself in my fly, grasping my bare skin beneath my underwear.

Heavy rain kept on pouring outside as Gaea took the very little identity I had left.

Gaea handed me back my clothes when she was done with me, telling me to dress up. I stayed huddled at the corner, my eyes trained on the floor of her car. Why did this have to happen? I was only trying to find food for myself and my brother, why must someone do that to a child?

_Have you not learned anything from living on the streets?_ a voice in the back of my head said. _The world isn't a fantasy filled with beautiful sceneries and kind people. It is a wasteland, steaming with greed and hate and people willing to do everything to survive. Even unspeakable things. That is the law of the streets. That is the law of survival._

It wasn't about Gaea's survival, though, it was about mine and Tyson's.

With shaking hands, I put my clothes back on and felt a lump in the side pocket of my jeans. "Think about what I told you, Percy," said Gaea. "I put my calling card in your back pocket. Just give me a call."

I didn't answer her. I didn't even look at her as I got out of the car. My knees were trembling and my hands wouldn't stop jerking. I wasn't sure if I even felt the pleasure they said always comes with sex. I was too young to even think about it. Between keeping my brother and I fed and under the radar of the foster system, feeling good wasn't exactly something I'd thought about.

I looked around and dipped my hand in my pocket. I brought out the wad of cash that Gaea had given me. I stared at it, stunned, as I took in the sight of dollar bills on my hand. It was more than money I'd ever held in my entire life.

I made a decision, though, not to touch it. I hate where it came from.

With all these thoughts running in my head, I didn't notice that I was back at the alley where Tyson and I lived. At first I suspected that everything was as I left them, but no. When I looked closely, Tyson was now lying on the ground, away from the shredded boxes I piled to be his bed, and his body was moving like he was being electrocuted.

I rushed to his side. His eyes were rolled back into his head and foam was coming out of his mouth. "Ty!" I yelled as I tried to steady his body. "Ty, wake up, please!"

But he was deaf to all my pleas. My brother - the only person and family who had protected me all these years - was lying on the cold ground, in the rain, convulsing.

"Help!" I screamed. "Help us, please!"

Two women passing by heard me and quickly rushed to where we were. "What happened, sweetie?" one asked me.

"I-I don't know, Ma'am," I stammered. "He's had fever for days now and this just happened. Please help us."

She nodded and looked at her companion. "Call a taxi," she said.

Her friend nodded and went to hail a cab. "Where are your parents?" the lady asked me.

"They're out of town," I automatically lied. It's something I always did to avoid unnecessary questions being asked. I knew that if we ever fall into the custody of the government again, chances were Tyson and I would be separated.

Her friend came back with a man, who I assumed was the taxi driver. He lifted my brother up with little effort and I followed as we made our way to the vehicle. Tyson and I and the lady were at the back seat while her friend was up front. I hugged my brother and chanted his name, as if my voice would be enough to pull him away from the disease he was locked in.

The taxi skidded to a halt and we were out in a flash. The lady called for assistance and a wheelchair was brought outside to bring Tyson in. I didn't leave my brother's side as they wheeled him inside, paying the driver completely out of my mind.

One of the nurses stopped me before I could come in the room where my brother was brought. I looked at them in panic, afraid that they were separating my brother and me. The lady who helped me held my shoulder. "It's okay," she whispered at me. She then led me to sit on one of the waiting chairs.

It was the longest waiting of my life. Each tick of the second hand of the clock felt like it corresponded to an hour. This being said, my thoughts were racing. What if Tyson died? What would I do? All these years, he was the only one who loved me. In the midst of all the people who made us feel worthless, Tyson was the only one who looked at me and saw someone loveable.

"Sweetheart," the lady called. I wiped my eyes and nose dry and looked at her. "Would you like me to call your parents?"

I shook my head. Call our parents? Is phone service available wherever it is that dead people go? "No, Ma'am," I told her. "I'll take care of it."

"If that's what you want," she said, standing up and running her hands down her skirt. "I'm sorry but we need to go. We still have a shift at the bar."

I nodded. Her friend handed me a bag and a cup. "Here's some bread and hot chocolate," she said. "Keep yourself fed, okay?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"You're welcome." They both grabbed their bags and left.

Once they were gone, I set the food aside and laid my head back. Too exhausted from the night's events, I fell asleep.

I was roused a few hours later by one of the doctors. It was already morning and my neck was stiff and my butt was sore. I looked up and saw a woman with heart-shaped face looking down at me.

"Honey, we have the results."

I shot to my feet. "Is my brother okay? When can I see him?"

She made me sit down instead of answering my questions. "When are your parents coming?"

"Later this day," I lied impatiently.

"Well, I guess I will wait for them, then."

She was about to stand up but I held her arm. "No, wait! Please tell me, Ma'am. My parents said to t-tell them what the doctors will say. Please, I need to know. I will call them right away. Please."

She looked into my eyes and sighed. "Before anything else, what's your name?" she asked.

"Percy, Ma'am. And that's Tyson."

"All right, Percy. The findings are your brother has severe appendicitis," she said carefully, checking if I was following. I knew enough to come up with a theory that it must've been due to us living on food scraps for three months. "The fever he had last night tells us that Tyson is having blood poisoning."

I let that sink in. I might be stupid, but even I knew that poison in your blood isn't good.

"We need to perform appendectomy as soon as we can," she continued. "I cannot stress this enough, Percy, but the surgery has to be done right now if we are to save your brother. You can understand why we need your parents here right away."

My heart seemed to skip a beat. Buying food daily was next to impossible but a surgery? I couldn't afford that.

I was again on the verge of tears. "C-can you help my brother, please?"

She nodded. "We can do the surgery but it is standard hospital protocol to pay half the bill before proceeding."

Suddenly I was mad. "Is everyone here all about money?!" I yelled at this woman who had the misfortune to deal with two homeless orphans. "So what, just because your patient's poor you're just gonna let him die? How is that fair?!"

He reached out to hold my arm. "Percy, I need you to calm down," she said in a whisper. "Getting angry isn't going to help Tyson. I'm trying to see what I can do but I'm afraid I'm hitting a wall. We'll be paying a professional to do the surgery so we can give Tyson his best chance and that's something beyond my control."

I grabbed the money from my pocket and shoved it to her lap. "Will that be enough payment for my brother's life, huh?!"

She looked sad. She gathered the bills and gave it back to me. "I'm trying to help, sweetheart. I'm pulling some strings so we can do the surgery now and worry about the payment later but the bottom line is: Tyson isn't going anywhere until this is settled."

"How much is it gonna cost?"

She gave me an estimated figure and my eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. Where in earth's hand would I get that much money?

"Paging Dr. Fell, you are needed in the surgery room," a voice announce via the speakers.

She stood up and smiled at me. "It looks like I was successful," she said. "We'll do the surgery but Percy, remember what I said, okay? This is where my connections ends. Everything onwards will be on your parents. Come find me when they arrive."

I nodded and watched as she left. They would be performing the appen-whatever it is, but the question still remained: how was I to pay for the bill?

I tried to search for an option. I considered asking for the government's assistance but quickly dismissed the thought. I couldn't let them know that we were runaways. Maybe I could steal? No. How many people would I have to steal from to get enough money? Unless of course I could pull off a bank heist.

There was none. There was nothing I could do. Nothing I could accomplish to save my brother. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't lose Tyson. I had to save him. But how?

Then there was the answer, burning in my back pocket. I took it out and stared at the printed words. Gaea's calling card. There's a phone number and an address near the hospital where we were in.

I remembered Gaea's words.

_"You don't need to steal and live on the streets anymore, Percy. Yes, I know you. I've watched you for some time now. Come work for me and money is one thing you no longer have to worry about."_

Without thinking, I stood up and went outside, willingly walking to the demons' lair.

o.O.o

The building where the address led me was enormous. Just looking up at it made me feel small. Insignificant.

I went in and heads turned to me. Most of them lingered on my face. I felt self-conscious. I knew I was nowhere near dressed appropriately for an office as fancy as this. Instead of disgusted looks, though, their expression were guarded. Some looked even sorry.

Were all these people what I was about to become?

I clenched my fist and made my way to the receptionist. A balding man looked up and seized me up. He wasn't too friendly when he asked "What do you need?"

"I-I'm here to see Gaea, sir," I said, trying to act confident.

He shook his head. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into, kid," he said, nodding to the exit. "Get out of here."

"I do know, sir," I answered. "Please, I don't have much time. I need to see her right away."

He glared at me. "Whatever. It's always the same with you guys. Don't say I didn't warn you." He picked up the phone and dialed a number. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Percy," I said.

"Ma'am, there's a kid here looking for you," he said. "Name's Percy." There was a reply from the other line and the man listened intently. "Right away, Ma'am," he said, nodding. He put the phone down and stood up. "Follow me, kid."

He led me to an elevator that was quite different to a regular one. For one it had a key card slot, instead of a button. The man took out a plastic card and swiped it. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. He let me in then pressed the button marked 40. "Good luck, kid; your life is over."

The doors closed.

I clutched my hands in front of me, considering whether I was doing the right thing. It was not too late to back out, was it? I wanted to, I seriously wanted to, but then I thought of my brother. He would die if I didn't do this. Besides it's just sex. And I'm a guy. It's not like I was losing anything.

_Like I didn't lose everything when Gaea raped me._

Rape. That word was strong and hit me in the gut. Yes, I was raped. By Gaea, so it wasn't like I had anything left to lose. I had to do this for Tyson.

There was another ding and the doors opened. I expected a hallway but the site that greeted me was a fully-furnished suite. I guess that's what they called the penthouse suite. The farthest wall was glass, giving an excellent view of the city. The furniture looked expensive and cool. I didn't really know that much about architecture or anything like that, so I didn't know what to look for.

"Hello?" I called.

"Percy!" a voice called. I turned to look at Gaea. She dropped to her knees and drew me into a hug. "I knew you'd change your mind. Oh, I'm so glad you're here. We could do so much with you joining us." She sat on her heels and lovingly stroked my hair. "What made you change your mind?"

As weird as it sounds, I liked how Gaea caressed my face. It was like she really loved me. Like she genuinely cared about me.

_Don't let it fool you._

"M-my brother," I said. "He needs to have a surgery and I-I don't have the money." I looked at her with teary eyes. "Will you help him, please?

Gaea was sad with my answer. "Oh, of course I will, sweetheart. But you do know what will be the price for this, right?" I nodded nervously. "Good. Now I will definitely help with your brother's surgery but first I need to see my latest baby!"

She sat down and started to remove my jacket. I wanted to protest but held myself back. If this was what I had to do for Tyson, so be it.

She removed my clothes, leaving me only in my underwear. I awkwardly held my hands to cover my crotch, still unused to someone seeing me. Gaea stood up and took my hand to lead me to a bathroom.

"Take your underwear off," she instructed me as she started to run the shower. I did as I was asked without any question, cupping myself to hide my private parts. The doctor said the bill had to be paid as soon as possible, so I couldn't exactly be weak-stomached at this point.

When satisfied with the temperature of the water, Gaea took my hand and placed me under the warm rain. Instantly, my muscles relaxed and I let out an involuntary sigh, closing my eyes. I felt Gaea's hands in my hair. I flinched but didn't move. Soon the scent of menthol filled the bathroom as Gaea washed my hair.

The last time I'd actually taken a proper bath was what? Back when we were still living with Gabe? Three months ago? I only scrubbed myself whenever it rained and hoped that it would stop myself from smelling awful. For this reason, Gaea had to rewash my hair thrice, as well as my torso. She was humming the whole time.

Her soapy hands travelled further down to my navel. She took hold of me, scrubbing. Despite the situation, it still felt good. I found my arousal growing.

Gaea chuckled. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

"This is exactly what we need," she said. "Are you ready?" she asked.

I gulped and nodded.

When she was done, she sat down and went back to stroking my hair. "As of this moment, your body no longer belongs to you; it's now your greatest weapon," she said. "The world is full of selfish and cruel people and I will show you how to exploit those weaknesses. I will turn you into a warrior. You no longer have to go hungry, nor sick. You will have everything you've ever wanted - everything you deserve. You will now be able to save your brother and give him a life he will be happy to live." She lifted my chin up and kissed me on the lips. "Do we have a deal that you will work for me?"

I forced the one word out of my mouth, one word that would forever change the course of my life. "Yes."

Gaea smiled and kissed me again. "I'll go get you some clothes."

She went out of the bathroom, leaving me alone. I stood up on shaky legs and I caught my reflection in the mirror. There were purplish red marks on my neck and my lips were puffed from the hard kisses Gaea had given me.

I tried to smile, to tell myself that at least I would have money.

I failed.

I burst into tears.

o.O.o

_Fourteen years old,_

"Where are you taking me Gaea?" I asked.

It was my fourteenth birthday and Gaea and given me the day off. Day off, which meant I didn't have to deal with any customers. She placed a blindfold over my eyes and was leading me somewhere in the building.

I heard a door open and Gaea's hand lead me inside. She removed the cloth over my eyes. I blinked, momentarily blinded by the light.

"Surprise!" she screamed gleefully, arms spread as she pointed to her gift.

I didn't feel happy. I felt angry. What Gaea was giving me was a person. Gabe Ugliano, to be exact.

He was tied to a chair, face purple from bruises and mouth gagged. Gaea ripped the cloth from his mouth. "Punk," he spat. "Should've known it was you. How is the spineless bastard?"

I clenched my fist to hit him but Gaea beat me to it. She slapped him hard. "You do not talk to him like that!" she screamed. She turned to me and touched my face. "Do not listen to him, Percy. You are not what he thinks you are." She opened her bag and looked for something. She came up with a gun and handed it to me. "Here. Kill him."

Gabe's eyes widened. "Now, wait just a minute woman - " Gaea stuffed the gag back into his mouth.

"W-what?" I asked her.

"Oh, Percy," she cooed, kissing the tip of my nose. "He's a monster. He hurts others for his pleasure. He hurt two poor orphans looking for a parent. He even hit sweet, loveable Tyson. Who would do such thing?" she asked. "If you're worried about the police, don't be. I have connections and have people in nearly all police stations in the country. Go ahead and shoot him. He's the personification of a demon."

Demon. Gabe was indeed a demon, but if I killed him, what would that make me?

"He deserves this, Percy," Gaea continued. "You will be doing a favor to those poor souls who suffered, are suffering, and will suffer on his hands." She stood behind me and aimed the gun to Gabe's head. His eyes widened and he mumbled against the gag. "It is your duty to make sure no one will go through the same pain you went though."

Her hands were now squeezing mine, one of my fingers positioned on the trigger. At the last second, I shifted my aim and pulled. There was a crack inside the room cut by Gabe's cries of pain, blood pouring from his busted kneecap. Giving no time for myself to reconsider, I aimed and gave his other leg the same treatment.

"He doesn't deserve to die," I said through clenched teeth. "That would be too kind. He deserves to suffer." I handed Gaea the gun and went out of the room.

It wasn't fully my choice joining Gaea's organization but it was my full responsibility for punishing Gabe. He deserved it. Maybe my body wasn't the only thing that no longer belonged to me.

That day marked the birth of a new Percy Jackson. A man with no heart and soul. A murderer.

Gabe's blood would forever mark my hands and this was something that would always haunt me, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Because once you let the darkness inside, it never comes out.

o.O.o

_Present day,_

Silence. There was nothing but silence and yet it deafened me.

Annabeth had her hand covering her mouth, her eyes shining with tears.

"Now you understand why I didn't want you to be associated with me," I said, finding the lack of response from her unbearable. "I'm not the good person you thought I am. I never was. I wanted to protect you from all these, Annabeth. I never wanted you to be exposed to my world. I'm so sorry."

She didn't reply and was not holding back the tears, either. The hand covering her mouth went down to clutch her chest. Her breathing was noisy as she cried.

"I don't deserve you, Annabeth," I continued. "I wish we could've met in a different life, in a different world. If only, then you would be my girl. Then I could look into your eyes and know that I'm not hiding anything. I'm sorry if I didn't have the strength to tell you this. I should never have kept this from you and I'm so sorry."

I looked at her. "Please say something," I pushed.

"Oh . . . my . . . God," she croaked, her voice hoarse. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Percy."

I reached out to touch her hand but she moved away. That simple movement made my world go tumbling down. I was right. Annabeth would never accept someone like me. Who would? I was a bad person. I was a soulless and heartless murderer. A prostitute.

"Annabeth, please," I found myself pleading.

"I-I'm s-sorry," she said, standing. "I'm sorry. I-I c-can't."

She took a step back then turned around, leaving me in my room.

Once again, I found myself alone. I bit my lip and tried to smile. Once again, I failed. Instead of a grin, pain and shame and tears washed down my face. Annabeth had walked out of my life. My secret had pushed her away from me. Wasn't this what I'd wanted? For her to be out of my life? So why was I crying and dying on the inside?

This was a good thing. She wouldn't have to be hurt by me anymore. She would be free to give her heart to someone much more deserving than me. What could I give her anyway? This was a good thing, I tried to convince myself the same way I tried to convince myself that I would be okay.

It was a good thing . . . right?

o.O.o

_**A/N: **Before I get hate messages for Annabeth's reaction, let me just say this: that was her INITIAL reaction._

**[Next - Chapter 14: WELCOME TO MY LIFE]  
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	14. Chapter 14: Welcome to My Life

_**A/N: **__Hello!_

**_CupCakeQueen57:_** _Sorry 'bout that. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it._

**_ADayWithNoLaughterIsADayWasted:_** _I just hope her after-initial reaction will live up to your expectations. :D_

**_CassylovesPercabeth:_**_ Well, here it is. :D_

**_Jessica Jasso:_**_ I'm glad I was able to accomplish that. I wanted you guys to be transported to four years ago and be with him while he was going through those things. Thank you for letting me know. :D_

**_Awesome guest:_**_ Thanks for squeezing Demons in. How did the exams go? :D_

**_00-WisE-GirL-00:_** _Haha! Nakakatuwa na may nakilala ulit akong Filipino dito. Pangalawa ka pa lang sa mga nakilala ko. Salamat sa pagreview! Tama ka, Arrow yun (sana ibalik si Helena!) Matagal ko na ring gustong gamiting yung line na yun, wala pa lang yung tamang scene. Salamat ulit!_

_And now, cue the drums and trumpets for the longest review . . . _

**_Tina:_**_ We should meet. Seriously. I would love to have this conversation in person. It's seldom I encounter someone who thinks the same way as I do. I'd like it very much if we can have this conversation over a coffee or chocolate (since I can't drink coffee)._

_First, I truly, really thank you for taking so much time writing that mind-blowing review. Please know that it is very much appreciated and very helpful. I'm very glad that someone was able to see what the story is about, too. I don't want to just write another Percabeth story, I want it to mean something else, to actually be relatable to what is happening in real life. _

_I do agree with you that, mostly, Demons is very much dark and doesn't show both sides. I'm very glad that you pointed that out. I took a step back and realized that you were right and because of that, and due to the timing of the chapter, I believe it's time for a lighter one. Not really in this chapter but in the next few ones. One thing: it won't last._

_How you dissected Percy's character . . . just wow. I'm glad you did that because it helped me write this chapter. You might find your words in this chapter and I sincerely hope that it's okay. (Don't sure me!)_

_You have no idea how many times I read your review. I even copied it and saved it in PDF file so I could re-read it and I will keep on re-reading it because your words, your analysis, will help me in my future chapters._

_Tina, thank you so much. I'm very much lucky that a reader such as yourself stumbled on my story and decided to give it a shot. Thank you, thank you. Take care always!_

_**Warning:** Violence. _

_DON'T JUST READ, LEAVE A REVIEW!  
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o.O.o

**DEMONS**

Chapter 14: WELCOME TO MY LIFE  
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ANNABETH

I couldn't remember the last time I felt like this.

The feeling that your body couldn't decide whether to crumple down or keep on walking; the feeling where your chest couldn't seem to decide either to shrink or expand in a dizzying mix of hurt, anger and love; the feeling where the ground was ripped beneath your feet, leaving you tumbling to an endless void.

I couldn't see clearly from the tears that were running down my face. I knew how dangerous walking on the street like this but I didn't have the ability to stop it. Not right then, anyway.

Percy's story . . . it was something that I thought only happens in movies or television. How could someone's story be that tragic? How could that happen to a child only trying to find a family that would keep him and his brother safe, someone who would take them in and love them?

But then with Percy's story, I realized it's very much real. It does happen and there are people out there who go through unspeakable things. It was like finding out that what you knew about everything turned out to be the complete opposite.

At a very young age, he was forced to take responsibility and give up the childhood he was supposed to have. He had to grow up quickly to deal with the harsh world he was exposed to.

My knees buckled and I didn't have a choice but to sit down on the pavement. I buried my face on my hands and sobbed quietly. The images that had been painted in my mind from Percy's words were so vivid and seemed so real that I felt like I was with him all the times that he had been hurt, all the times that he wondered if it was worth it to keep on hoping. I wish I could've been there, that I was able to at least shield him from all the horrible things that he had to endure.

He was a very happy and innocent child from what I could remember. He always wore a smile and no matter how hard a situation could be, Percy's energy and positivity always better everything.

Now, though, he was always on guard, looking at the world like everything was out to hurt him. Can anyone really blame him, after the kind of life he lived? How was he able to keep this to himself all these years? How was he able to survive those years anyway? By shutting himself and putting up walls around him to protect himself from anything that could hurt him. That's why he was so closed off when I first talked to him, that's why he was rude with everyone because he was afraid that if he let anyone in, he would end up alone and broken.

That's why.

That's why he was forced into doing this . . this thing he was doing. He saw it as his only option, the only way for him to keep himself and Tyson alive.

Why? Why did it have to be him? Why is this thing even happening? Why couldn't it be stopped?

A hand touched my arm. I flinched and moved away, scared. "Whoa, it's me," Thalia said, holding her hands up.

"T-Thalia," I cried, throwing myself at her. "Thalia. Thalia," I chanted as I sobbed into her shoulder.

"Hey, hey," she said soothingly, rubbing my back. "It's okay. You're okay."

"Thalia," I repeated, although I knew there was one name I would rather say but I couldn't, not without having to tell anyone about what I found out.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I-I can't."

"Is that her?" a voice asked. Suddenly I was ripped away from friend and was drawn into another hug by someone with much larger arms and stronger grip. "Oh, my baby. My daughter."

Dad stroked my hair and repeatedly kissed the side of my head. "Dad?" I asked.

"Yes, yes," he answered. He took my face between his hands and ran his thumb across the bruise on my cheek. "Does anything hurt? Would you like me to bring you to a hospital?"

"No," I said, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry, I had to tell him about what happened," said Thalia.

Dad nodded. "She told us everything. About those men who . . . who tried to rape you." He clenched his shaking hands. "We've filed a report. I swear they will all be apprehended."

"Dad, I'm - "

"I'm so sorry, Annie," he whispered, caressing my cheek. "I'm sorry for everything."

"Dad . . ."

"I shouldn't have said those words, I shouldn't have judged him too harshly. If it wasn't for him, I would've lost my daughter. Oh, Annabeth, I'm so sorry."

"Dad, please. Enough," I said. I hugged him and buried my face on his chest. "It's fine. Thank you so much for finding me. How did you, anyway?" I asked when I pulled away.

"He went to Nico's asking for you," Thalia explained. "I took him to Percy's to check on you but he said you've left. All we had to do was to walk down the street and we saw you." She paused. "Why were you crying anyway and why didn't Percy even drive you home?"

"I-I was having a panic attack," I lied automatically. "I just wanted to go home and Percy was . . . he had things to do so I just walked."

When did I start lying to the people I care about? Right. When I fell for a guy who had secrets.

"Busy or not, Percy should've driven you home," Thalia said disapprovingly.

I wanted to get mad at her and tell her that she didn't know what Percy had gone through, but then I realized it was for the same reason why I couldn't.

"It's fine," said Dad. "The thing that matters is we found her." She took my hand. "Come on, let's get you home."

I looked back at Thalia. She nodded. "I'll tell the others," she said.

"Thank you."

After that, I let my father lead me home.

o.O.o

"Are you sure you're okay?" Dad asked again.

"Yeah," I said, still unused to having his attention all to myself.

We were in our kitchen, talking. My step-mother and the twins were in their respective bedrooms. Dad had requested them to give us private time.

"Please stop worrying about me."

"I can't just stop worrying about you," he said. "And with everything I said and did, I can't just set aside the fact that I pushed you away." He took my hand and rubbed a thumb on my knuckles. "I'm truly sorry, Annabeth, for everything I've said and done. I regret not being the father that you need and deserve. I don't deserve your forgiveness but - "

"Dad, please," I whispered. "Please stop." I stood up and hugged my father, the man who had looked after me. I will admit that I was mad at him for ignoring me but after hearing Percy's story, I realized how lucky I was that he was in my life.

"I love you, Annabeth," he whispered.

"I love you, Dad," I said back. I disentangled myself from him. "I don't hate you or feel any resentment towards you and I also am sorry for being such a brat and demanding for time."

"You did the right thing," he said. "I'm sorry that it took you being in danger for me to realize what a shitty parent I'd been."

I raised my eyebrows at him. Dad hated it whenever someone in our house cursed. "You're not a shitty parent at all, Dad," I said. "You are not a perfect Dad - honestly who is - but you are trying and you have raised me alone and I don't give a damn now about what happened."

Hearing Percy's story made me realize how easy it is for us to lose the ones that he held closest to our hearts. We should let them feel how much we love them and what they mean to us because we don't know when things will change.

He smiled and kissed my forehead. "I'm so glad you're okay," he said. "I've talked to your friends and they've agreed to pick you up and drive you home everyday to and from school." I was about to protest but he stopped me. "No arguments. It will do your old man some good to know you're safe."

"Fine," I conceded.

"I guess it's better if you go up and get cleaned," he said. "I need to talk to Nina, anyway." He stroked my hair again. "Thank you, Annabeth."

I smiled. "Thank you, Dad."

I climbed the stairs and was about to enter my room but was stopped when the twins tackled me with a hug. "Annie!" they both exclaimed.

Despite my mood, I couldn't help but chuckle. "Hey, guys." I patted both their heads. "How are you?" I asked them.

They looked up, teary-eyed. "Are you okay?" Bobby asked. I could separate them apart because of their choice of haircut. Bobby always liked to keep his hair longer and somewhat messier while Matthew kept his shorter and more tamed.

"Yeah, of course," I answered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Mom told us what happened," Matthew murmured. "Are you okay?" he asked me again. He was close to tears, so was Bobby. I might not be that close to my stepmother but the twins were a different story.

"Oh, guys," I whispered as I sat down on my heels to hug them both. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." They were both clinging tightly to my neck, murmuring how worried they'd been when they found out. I withdrew and brushed the hair from their eyes. "I don't want you guys to worry about me, okay? I can take care of myself."

They both nodded. Bobby took my hand and lead me inside my room. "Dad said not to bug you and let you rest," he said. "But Matt and I agreed we'll watch over you while you sleep."

I felt a rush of affection towards these two troublemakers. "You don't have to do that," I told them.

Matthew held up a hand. "No arguments," he said with a final tone. "Bobby and I will protect you."

I laughed to hide the fact that I was close to tears again. "And how are you supposed to do that? You're just kids. Skinny kids."

"Hey!" they protested in unison.

"I have muscles!" Bobby exclaimed, flexing his arms to show his undeveloped biceps.

Matthew did the same. "Me, too!"

I squeezed their arms and put on a face of mocked curiosity. "Why, you're right," I said. "Very, very muscular. My muscled men."

They chuckled and made me lie down on my bed. "Sleep now, Annie," said Matthew. "We'll watch over you."

Bobby spread my blanket over me. I took him into my arms and kissed his forehead. I did the same with Matthew. "I love you, guys."

I must've been more tired than I thought, with all the revelation and crying I did. I didn't even hear their reply.

I feel into a deep slumber, to find rest, only to be locked in a cruel dreaming world.

I was in an abandoned warehouse. There was no electricity but lightning flashes as thunder rumbled overhead. I couldn't see much. Cracked walls, peeling paint and eerie sounds from the ventilation system. Cold, wet wind blew outside and I hugged myself around the waist, only to notice that I had an unfamiliar jacket on. I couldn't see it but the feeling was foreign. When the next flash of lightning happened, I saw the name Jackson stitched on the right sleeve of the material. I brought the collar close to my nose and inhaled. I was right. It belonged to Percy. The jacket smelled like the ocean, same scent that he seemed to always carry.

I was scared, uncertain where I was and what was happening but having Percy's jacket around me felt like he was there with me, protecting me.

I walked around, the sound of my boots echoing through the empty hallways. "Hello?" I called. There was no answer so I kept on walking, looking for any other occupant. "Is somebody here?"

"No!" I heard a voice scream. My body went on autopilot and I surged forward to the general direction where the voice came from. "Don't get in!" said voice yelled.

I burst into the reception area and saw something weird. Weird doesn't even begin to cover it but right then, I was out of words. Percy was suspended in mid-air, hands outstretched to the entrance, lips open in a soundless cry.

I followed his eyes and saw a car parked right outside where a lone woman was sitting in the driver's seat. I recognized her. She wore the same gentle expression that Percy had whenever he let himself not be who he needed to be. She was looking out the window, smiling to where we were.

She was Sally Jackson.

I didn't put every puzzle pieces together until the car exploded. Suddenly the gray world I was in was filled with red, but not the soft and muted red that sometimes comes with sunset. No. Angry, blistering red. It burst in intervals, showering everything with its scorching light. I felt the heat. I felt the burn it brought and the aftershocks it sent.

I brought the arm shielding my eyes down and looked up. The car was burning and Sally . . . Sally was slumped on the seat. She was unrecognizable. In fact, if I didn't know it was her, I wouldn't have been able to tell if it was a human or an object.

The Percy that was suspended in mid-air had his right arm on fire, the flame eating away the material of his shirt and burning the skin of his arms. I reached out a hand to touch him but the moment my skin touched his, I found myself being sucked into another world. But not before I saw a flash of silver and gold.

There was the sound of whip hitting skin and a scream of agony. My eyes, which I closed in the process of my being transported here, opened on their own. I gasped at the sight that greeted me. Percy was on his knees, his wrists tied behind his back, the rope cutting deep into his skin. He didn't have a shirt on but there was no skin visible on his torso. All that was there was blood. Blood pouring from the numerous whip lashes he received. More disturbingly, there were two people in front of him, whom he was shielding from the continuous assault. From my point, I could tell they were a boy and a girl.

"Please," he pleaded. "Don't hurt them."

There were three people holding whips. Two men and a woman. The woman was elegantly dressed. Her brown hair was cut short and she wore a smile bordering between evil and completely evil. Based on Percy's story, this was Gaea.

The other man was in a dark suit. He had cropped black hair and had a scar running from below his left eye down to his upper lip. Kronos.

The last one had a balding head. He had reading glasses tied around his neck and was dressed like a drug addict. Gabe.

They took turns whipping Percy, each one cackling every time he cried out in pain. I ran forward and threw myself in front of him. "Stop it!"

Gaea laughed. "Well, well, if it isn't the famous Annabeth Chase. Come to save your boyfriend?"

I stood up to face her, hands shaking. "Don't you dare hurt him again," I said.

She tossed her bloody whip aside. "I won't, " she conceded, then nodded to Kronos.

He lifted his arm up and struck. "No!" I screamed as I watched the whip sailing directly to my face as if it was in slow-motion.

The thing came an inch away from my nose and ripped the scene down in the middle like a jagged-edged tapestry.

I looked around in confusion. Gaea, Kronos and Gabe were all gone. But not Percy. He was suddenly in front me whereas he was behind me a second before. The two people he was shielding were also gone but was replaced by a dark-haired girl around my age. She was limp in Percy's arm, a bullet hole in the middle of her forehead. I felt sick to my stomach as I watched Percy cry over her stiff body.

"I'm so sorry, Rey," he sobbed. "I killed you. I'm so sorry." On his right had was a bloody knife. I wanted to tell Percy that Reyna had died from a gunshot wound and that it would be impossible he was the one who killed her but I was out of words.

Percy hugged Reyna's body to his and cried. "I'm so sorry," he repeated. "I'm so very sorry if I have to do this. It's the only way to protect you."

Reyna's body started convulsing and Percy had to draw back. A gasp escaped my lips as I looked into the appearance of the girl on his arms.

It was no longer Reyna.

Instead of black hair, she had blonde locks, tan skin and grey eyes. She was gasping for breath as blood oozed from a bullet hole on her chest.

"I'm so sorry, Annabeth," he whispered. What he did next scared me. He gripped the knife tightly and pointed it to my neck. "I'm sorry."

I watched, immobile, as he ran the sharp edge and slit my throat open.

"No!"

I panted as I sat on my bed, sweat was running down my face and neck, my hair matted to my forehead. The images from my dream were embedded in my mind, demanding to be acknowledged. What was the meaning of that dream? Why did I see how Sally died? What were those flashes of gold and silver?

I did understand the second and last part. Gaea, Kronos and Gabe were the ones who hurt and were hurting Percy. Reyna's dead body on Percy's arms and him killing me were also self-explanatory, so why did I feel like there was something else there?

I wiped my forehead and dismissed the dream as a product of my stress. I stretched my leg only to collide with something. Or rather, someone. Matthew mumbled in his sleep but didn't wake up. He and Bobby were both asleep side by side at the foot of my bed. I ran my fingers through their hair and kissed their head before standing up.

I went down to the kitchen and was greeted by my father. "The twins are asleep in my room," I told him.

He nodded, a small smile on his lips. "I told them to go to their room but they wouldn't leave you," he said.

"They're stubborn that way," I told him.

I sat down in front of him. "We should talk," he said.

"Dad, if it's about what happened, please stop blaming yourself," I said. "You were under a lot of stress and I understand that."

He smiled at me gratefully. "I actually meant this," he said, holding the letters I received from the college where I sent my applications. "These are great, Annie. I'm so proud to be your father."

"You should be. I don't think I would be able to accomplish half the things I did if not for you always looking over my shoulder," I joked and we shared a laugh.

"I have some money saved and - "

I didn't let him finish. "No. We're not touching your money." He wanted to protest but I was on a roll. "I have my own savings, Dad, and I will use it for college."

"Annabeth, as your father, it is my job to see your education through," he insisted.

"As my father, it is your job to assist me," I corrected him. "You were only a year older than I am when I was born. You of all people know that it's possible to support one's self. I know it was hard, but it's doable."

"Annie . . ."

"I will use my own money and look for a part time job," I continued. "You just worry about Matt and Bobby and I promise that if I need help, I will contact you."

"But . . . "

"Dad, if you insist, I will get mad at you," I threatened.

He shook his head, smiling. "You just have to be independent, huh?"

"Must've taken after my father," I said.

There was a knock on the door and he stood up. "Annabeth, Nico's here," my father announced. I went over and saw him there, eyeing me carefully. "I'll be in my room," said my father.

"He told you," Nico said when we heard Dad's doors close.

"He did."

He nodded. "Well, I'm just here because he asked me to give you this," he said, handing me a folded piece of paper.

"What's this?" I asked. Dumb question.

"Your eviction notice," he answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

I unfolded it and was shown words that were written in Percy's scrawl.

_Annabeth,_

_I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for hurting you, for keeping this secret, but most of all, for walking into your life. Without me, you would've been happy and have a simple life. I just had to be here and complicate things more, huh?_

_I really am a selfish prick, a selfish prick who don't even deserve your attention. I don't even understand what you saw in me that made you talk to me. No matter what it was, please know that I'm truly grateful. At least for once in my life, I'd known happiness._

_I wanted to keep hoping, to keep on living and when I met you, I thought that I had a chance. But I was a fool. When you walked away, I realized that I was just lying to myself. There was no hope for me and I'm not gonna let you be trapped in my world, too. Thank you for having the strength to leave me because I wouldn't have known how to let you go. Thank you for having the courage to leave._

_I want to regret coming back here but I do not. Because in my series of bad decisions, coming back here was one of the best ones. That sounds bad for you because you're the one who got hurt, but for me, it was a good one. I got to know a slice of the good part of this world._

_I'm so sorry that I let this go on as far as this. I know I should have cut any connection we have but I couldn't. Piece by piece you brought the old me back but I guess because you're smart, you recognized a losing battle. A lost cause. Thank you for cutting the ties and minimizing your losses. Between the two of us, you're the stronger one and I'm thankful for that._

_There are a lot of things I want to apologize for but I can't. Don't want to miss my flight._

_Be happy, Annabeth. Live. Love. And be safe._

_Percy._

I only noticed I was crying when a tear fell and smudged the words. I looked up at Nico who was looking back at me tentatively. "W-what does he mean he'll miss his flight?" I asked him.

Nico heaved a sigh. "He's leaving the country tonight, Annabeth," he answered. "After you left, he was devastated." Nico paused. "Look, I know it's too much to take in all at once but can't you give him a chance? Beneath all that, he cares deeply for you."

I had to sit down. "Why would he even leave?"

"Why do you think?" he asked. "He couldn't handle you being disgusted with him so - "

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "I'm not disgusted with him," I whispered.

Nico raised his eyebrows. "Why did you run away, then?"

Realization dawned on me. "Oh, that stupid guy." I stood up and went for the door. "Dad, I'm leaving!"

"What?"

"Nico's with me, don't worry!"

I grabbed Nico's hand and dragged him to the door. "Wait, where are we going?"

"Percy's house," I answered. "He'll be there, won't he?"

"His flight's in two hours so I'm not sure," he said, still frowning. "What exactly are you trying to accomplish? You're my friend but I'm also Percy's friend and I don't think it will do him any good for the one girl he likes to rub it in his face how unworthy he is of her."

"Stop talking, Nico!" I snapped. "I didn't run away because I was disgusted or anything like that. I ran away because I couldn't let him see me breakdown. I needed time to deal with it on my own. Now, are you going to drive me or not?"

He looked at me wide-eyed. His face then broke into a grin. "'Course," he said, already heading for his car. "Let's go get our guy." He paused as he was about to get in. "I mean, _your_ guy. I don't want to send a different message that I'm after your man or anything - "

"Nico, just shut up and drive!"

"Fine!"

Percy's car was still parked out front, which meant that he still hadn't left. I got out of Nico's car and rushed towards the door, which, coincidentally, opened ad out came Percy, holding bags. He really was leaving, then. He was just going to pack up and leave and wouldn't give a second thought about me.

I was suddenly mad, so mad at him that I rushed forward and shove him back. "You really think that this is the answer?!" I screamed at him. "You're an ass, Percy Jackson! You come in here and make me fall for you and then just leave me?"

His mouth was hanging open, clearly surprised by my outburst. "I don't - " I was having none of it. I grabbed his bags from him, unzipped them and dump all the clothes on his porch. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"You're not leaving me, jerk!"

He was mad, too. "I am!" he answered back. "I am leaving and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"There is! Even if I have to beat you to stop you, I will."

"As if you could take me," he scoffed.

"I have Nico to help me," I pointed out.

We both looked at him, figuring out whose side he was on. "Sorry, Perce," he said. "I will knee you in the balls if you try to leave without hearing her out."

Percy looked incredulously at him. He bent down and started to stuff the clothes back into his bag. I took the other one and dumped all contents on the street. "Will you stop this?!"

"I will if you stop trying to leave."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Uh, guys . . . "

"I'm doing what's right, Annabeth," said Percy. "Isn't this what you want, for me to leave?"

"Are you really that stupid, Percy? Just because I left after you told me everything doesn't mean I hate you. I just needed time to deal with it." He was clearly not hearing anything. "Will you just listen to me?"

"No, Annabeth," he said, looking at me with pained expression. "You were right to run away and you should've stayed away."

"And I'm still here, what does that tell you?"

"That you're incredibly stupid!"

"Guys!"

"Shut up, Nico!" we said at the same time.

"You argue like an old married couple!" Nico exclaimed. "And by that I mean in the middle of the street where everyone can see you. Will you please take it inside?"

He was right. Passerbys were watching us, amused. I could feel my face redden. "I-I'm sorry," I said under my breath. "Nico get those clothes," I instructed, steering Percy back inside his house. "You and I will continue this inside."

"I have a plane to catch," he said.

"No, you don't," I said, pushing him back inside.

"Don't get mad if some cool clothes go missing!" Nico yelled.

"They won't fit you, dwarf!" I screamed back.

I turned to face a furious Percy. "What are you doing, Annabeth? Why did you come back?"

"Are you still asking me that, Percy? Because I'm pretty sure that you know why I'm here. You're just too scared to face it. Whenever there is something that you don't understand, you run away!"

He glared at me. "Me, run away?"

"Yes, you! You're a coward, Percy!" I poked a finger on his chest, completely forgetting about his injuries. "You know how I feel about you and I know that there is a small part of you that's starting to feel for me and because it's something you're not accustomed to, you will just run away!"

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," he said, shaking his head. "You know what kind of people I'm involved with and you think what I feel is my first concern? How stupid can you be?"

"Low blow, dude," a voice murmured behind us. Nico stood on the doorway, holding Percy's bags. He looked at us and seemed to realize we needed alone time. "I'm just gonna go and make myself look busy," he said, turning to his left.

"You can go ahead and call me names but I'm not leaving," I told him quietly. "I'm not leaving you."

"Why not?" he challenged. "Give me one good reason, Annabeth."

"Because I need you," I whispered. "Because I love you."

His eyes widened, looking at me with his lips parted. "No, no," he whispered. "I told you that you can't. I told you not to fall in love with me!"

"Believe me, it wasn't my choice, either," I told him. "Look, Percy, when I told you I love you, I didn't ask you to love me back, did I? All I want is for you to stay."

A lie. Percy and I both knew that there was a part of me that wanted his heart, that wanted his love.

"You don't have to because I already do," he said in a quiet voice.

That caught my attention. "What?"

"I'm in love with you, Annabeth!" he repeated. "How hopeless is that, huh? The prostitute falling for the perfect girl. Fucking stupid."

"You're confusing me," I admitted, although all I really wanted was to hear those words again. "You said that I can't fall for you when all this time you feel the same way about me. What kind of a messed up logic is that?"

"It's a messed-up logic of someone who wants to protect you!"

"From who, Percy?" I asked him. "From who do I exactly need to be protected from? Because I know that you're not leaving me without ensuring my safety, so who do I need to be protected from?"

"Me! You need to be protected from me!" he exclaimed. "I'm a bad person, Annabeth, a bad person who deserves nothing while you . . . you deserve everything."

"I am nothing and you are my everything. Do we deserve each other now?" I challenged him. I could see how much he was hurting and I took a risk and held his hand. "Percy, you're not a bad person," I whispered. He shook his head and I took his face on my hands. "Stop it. Yes, you do this thing but that doesn't make you a horrible person. If you strip this situation to the very core, what will you get? Someone who loves deeply that he's willing to give up everything he has to ensure the well-being of the one person he had left. You only do this thing because of Tyson. Don't be blinded by the people's perception what your true nature is."

"It's not just because of that," he said. "Do you know how much it hurt falling in love with you?"

"What?"

"You made me feel, Annabeth," he told me. "I have abandoned my hopes, my emotions long ago and when you came, everything came crashing back."

"And how is that a bad thing?" I asked.

"With this type of thing I do, how do you think I will feel about myself if I let it, huh, Annabeth?" he said. "When I fell for you, I felt everything. I felt anger and shame and resentment all because I fell in love with you."

"Then let me help," I said, a note of plea entering my voice. "You don't have to do this alone."

"I don't want this, Annabeth," he said. "I don't want to feel."

"You were coerced into this thing because you love your brother," I said, squeezing his hand. "You say that you don't want feel but that sound a lot like emotions to me. You didn't abandon your emotions, Percy, you've intensified them. Of all the people I know you're the one who cares the most."

"How many times can you rip out my heart?!" He looked up and a tear fell from his eyes. "Why are you doing this to me, Annabeth? Why do you have to make this more complicated than it already is?"

I caressed his cheek. "Because love is messy and complicated, but that's what makes it beautiful. Let me be the one to remind you that you're not lost. I won't try to make you a better person but I will remind you that you're good all along."

"Don't waste your effort trying to save a guy who went off the edge by his own choice," he said.

"I'm merely showing you the other side of life," I said, running my thumb across his lower lip. "It's not just the cruel world you are in, there's still hope and love and I will bring you there."

He didn't answer but pressed his lips on my palm. "I won't force you into anything, but I want you to stay. Now if that's not what you want, then I will leave and not stop you. Set aside my well-being and don't be selfless."

"Selfless," he whispered. "I am selfish, Annabeth. I am the embodiment of selfishness but because you want an answer, then I'll give you one: I want to be with you. I want to love you. I want you all to myself - that's how selfish I am."

"Then forget what I said and be selfish," I said. "Be a selfish prick and be my man and I will be your girl."

More tears fell from his eyes. "Why are you doing this to me, Annabeth?" he asked again.

"Because I love you, Percy. Because I chose you and I stand by my choice," I said simply.

Instead of answering, he grabbed my face and kissed me fiercely. It hurt, but I liked it. I kissed him back as his hands ran down my side. I slammed him against the wall, not caring that his head collided hard on the wood.

His lips claimed the skin of my neck and I moaned involuntarily. His tongue ran down the length of my throat. "I love you, Percy."

"I love you," he said against the skin of my shoulder. "God, I can't tell you how much but I fucking love you, Annabeth Chase."

I ripped his shirt off of him and started to kiss his neck the same way he did mine. He was also moaning at this point as a finger travelled down his chest down to his navel.

"Ehem," a voice interrupted us. I sprang away from Percy as Nico looked at us uncomfortably. "Ehem. Ehem."

"Nico - " I began.

He held a finger up. "Whoops. Ehem," he said. "You know I'm extremely happy that you come to an understanding but can you keep it down? The Avengers is on."

I noticed his red face and I had to smile. "You've seen all my boyfriend's goods, Nico."

"He has?" Percy asked. "And he didn't jump me, did he?"

"No, asshole, I didn't," he said. "You're hideous to look at."

"Says the kid who can't take his eyes off of me," Percy teased.

"Whatever, dick," Nico grumbled, going back to the living room. "Keep quiet!"

I smiled as I turned back to Percy, who, even smiling, still held pain in his eyes. "Will you stay now?"

He gave a slight nod. "You do know that I will make you regret this, right?"

"Then we'll regret it together," I said, claiming his lips once again.

o.O.o

**[Next - Chapter 15: LOVE HAS COME FOR ME]**


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